Will To Survive
by MotherHeninFlorida
Summary: Take a look inside one family's efforts to survive a pandemic. Based on factual information but played out in a fictional story.
1. Introduction

_**Author's Note** : This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the production of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual people, living or dead, business establishments or events is purely coincidental and certainly not meant to be offensive. The author has also claimed writer's privilege and while some place names and locations can be found in the real world, creative license has been taken with geographical facts. However, when at all possible actual statistics have been used._

* * *

 **Introduction**

 _Fairytale, or is it?_ _Once upon a time there lived a family with a father, a mother, and five children. They all got along together and lived relatively comfortable, if not terribly exciting lives. The family members, while not especially handsome or beautiful, were well enough. The kids were smart and well mannered, and they had smart and well-mannered friends. They lived in a house and had two cars. They owned their own business and an in-ground swimming pool. In fact they had many of the creature comforts that were part of the American Dream. The husband and wife were of that group of people from humble beginnings who had made good and felt, though their lives weren't perfect, they certainly felt above average. And then one day ..._

 _Once upon a time._ Isn't that how all good fairy tales begin? But what if a person was just trying to write a story, knowing that the story might not have a happy ending? What if the story was written to inform, educate, and maybe even encourage people to take some type of action?

So maybe you don't have a fairy tale after all since you don't know if the story will end _happily ever after_. Maybe what you have is a fable or a tall tale. Both fables and tall tales usually have some kind of moral to the story, maybe even a grain of truth to them. But some people don't want there to be any truth to this story. They'll say you are a scare-monger or someone just out to get attention by frightening people.

So then is your story a dark and terrible fantasy spun out by a disturbed imagination? You don't want your story to be a grade B horror flick. You don't want people to be so scared or intimidated that they can't see what you are trying to say; that they never finish reading the story.

So maybe you'll just call your story … well, a story. But, what the heck, we'll start this story off with once upon a time anyway. After all, just because you don't know whether your story will have a happy ending or not, doesn't mean it can't have a happy beginning.

Once upon a time there lived a family …


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Like all stories, you need a beginning. The problem lies in figuring out where the story actually starts. Do you introduce the beginning with an action scene, a passionate love scene, or a scene where a mysterious message is delivered or overheard? Do you start with a riddle, a conflict, or a preview of the plot? Or do you introduce the villains, the heroes, or the supporting players?

Perhaps it is easiest for this story if we simply start it with a description of our main characters. Only the reader will ultimately be able to judge whether they are heroes or villains.

First there is Scott and Sissy Chapman, husband and wife, enjoying a traditional marriage and all the perks that go with it. They are practical and stoic without being stodgy or boring. They are in their early forties and enjoy a fairly active lifestyle and a very close relationship with each other and their children. It's their practicality and inclination, rather than sexism, that has led them to divide their responsibilities along stereotypical lines. They own their own property management business which keeps Scott busy and out of the home five or six days a week and on call the rest of the time. Sissy manages the home and the home office, and since they've chosen to homeschool she also manages the education of their children. Scott is very organized and manages to juggle his workaholic lifestyle and fatherhood better than you would expect possible. Sissy spends most of her week shuttling the kids back and forth to various activities, answering the office phone, and researching ways to maximize the family's budget. In their spare time, what little there is of it, they make plans for when they can retire to some rural acreage and live a quieter and less hectic life.

Next we have the children - 2 teenagers, a soon to be middle schooler, an elementary aged child, and a toddler. Rose, James, Sarah, Bekah, and Johnnie are all good kids. Their social outlets run the gamut from church to scouts to sports. They are amiable and well liked by their peers without being overly concerned with popularity. They are neither rebels, nor sheep who simple a clique or the latest fad. They also get along well with each other, with very few serious sibling squabbles disrupting the family's daily routine. The family has no pets but is seriously discussing getting a dog much to Sissy's chagrin. She was hoping to have left the days of potty training and unfortunate puddles behind her when the toddler finally outgrew diapers.

The Chapman's choices give them a lot of flexibility to approach life with. Though they work long hours, they get to determine when those hours will be. And because they homeschool their kids they have no rigid attendance rules and can take advantage of the free time when it does come around, even if that is in the middle of the work week. This lifestyle works well for their family, allowing them to maximize their assets, even the non-traditional ones.

The supporting players in this story include several members of Sissy's extended family, friends that she meets on the Internet, neighbors on their street, and a tenacious reporter who is between assignments when we first meet him.

The primary antagonist in our story is a microscopic avian influenza virus. This little character first appears on the world scene around ten years ago when it killed over twenty people in China. Over the last decade it has gone from long stretches where it appeared to have died out to large animal die-offs. From large animal die-offs primarily involving birds to being able to infect other animals. From fairly regular announcements of confirmed animal infections to occasional confirmations of human infections. The human infections were primarily confined, as far as the public knew, to Far, Middle, and near Eastern countries; then confirmed cases began to appear on the African continent. Now hardly a week goes by without several suspect human cases and at least one confirmed death due to the little villain.

A couple of years ago Sissy discovered that there was a threat to her family in the form of a hypothetical influenza pandemic. This event was expected, in some circles, to be similar to other documented historical pandemic events such as the Spanish Flu of 1918. After Sissy thoroughly researched the threat for veracity – after all there was no sense getting bent out of shape over an urban legend – she determined that the threat is credible and brought Scott into the picture. They spend hours in discussion. While they are not morbid by nature, the facts don't exactly lead to warm and fuzzy feelings. Especially concerning is the threat to their children. They both determine to take action and find ways to protect their family.

The Chapman family lives in a suburb of Tampa, Florida. This is an area very familiar with experiencing catastrophic weather events. Because of this, "prepping" – as the action of putting food and supplies aside for an emergency is termed – is not that hard for them to apply to this new threat. After some discussion, Scott and Sissy agree to re-work their family's budget so that there are funds with which to acquire items they might need in the event of a pandemic. Their initial goal is to gather enough emergency food and supplies for two weeks, which is what many of the government websites on the subject suggest. They start by buying very basic and relatively cheap staple items like rice, flour, and dried beans. This strategy made an additional two week supply of food in their pantry relatively inexpensive, leaving them more money to spend on protective gloves and well-fitting masks.

After reaching that first goal however, and after reading about school closures that could last as long as three months in their state's pandemic plan, they feel additional prepping is prudent. Even though school closures would not affect them directly, there could possibly be lots of indirect effects. It could cause other people work difficulties if they couldn't find someone to watch their children while they go to work. Less work could mean that their tenants would have less money to pay their rent with. This, coupled with other economic factors of a pandemic, could make it very difficult to afford what they needed from the grocery stores. They also read a report by US Homeland Security recommending ninety days of supplies. In the end, they decide to strive to have four to six months of supplies for their family. Reaching this goal takes longer than they had anticipated but their success is twice as satisfying as they know now that they are not only set for any weather threat, but health and economic threats as well, regardless of their origin.

Because they are prepping for a much longer time frame they are forced expand their food selections to include pastas and sauces, broths and soups, canned vegetables and fruits, dried and canned milk products, as well as numerous other ingredients. Even after reaching six months of preps, Scott and Sissy continue to add things here and there like solar powered equipment and comfort foods. Its not like anything will go to waste after all as their mottoes are "store what you eat, eat what you store" and "make everything dual purposed."

Then Scott and Sissy begin to go through their "what if" scenarios to try and figure out how to have enough water on hand to meet the demands of various situations. Typical emergency advice is to have one gallon per person per day. That means that their family, at a bare minimum, needs to have the ability to draw seven gallons of water per day. Looked at another way they need a minimum of 49 gallons per week or 210 gallons per month. And that is only for cooking and drinking. Since Sissy cannot conceive of what would happen if they were unable to clean for a whole week, much less for a whole month, she insists that they invest in some water storage devices.

To begin addressing their water storage problems, Scott picks up some cheap, food grade barrels at an out-of-the-way roadside flea market that cost $15 per fifty-gallon barrel. When he picked them up, the seller told him that they had contained Greek peppers. After inspecting the barrels, Sissy assured Scott that the smell from the inside of the barrels made this an obvious statement. Sissy appreciated Scott picking up three of the barrels regardless of their smell. Sissy does what she can by ordering a couple of collapsible containers called "Water Bobs" that fit into any standard bathtub. These can be placed in a tub and filled with little work, and hold 100 gallons each.

Easier, and far cheaper, is that Sissy starts saving all of the empty two-liter soda bottles she can get their hands on. She even goes so far as to request that friends and family save them for her. Of course these containers are quite bulky to store, but they are so light when empty that they can be bagged or boxed up and stored at the very top of their closets; out of sight but close at hand. Scott figures that when all is said and done, they have over 400 gallons of drinking water capacity if the power goes out. This doesn't even include filling up all of the miscellaneous Tupperware like containers that Sissy has a multitude of. Nor does it include emergency water sources like their 80-gallon hot water tank.

In addition to water storage, Scott investigates the potential for using a 12v or deep cycle cell battery system to operate their well. The major electric work at their rental properties is normally farmed out to licensed and bonded electricians because of Florida's building code laws, so this is fairly new territory. However, thanks to advice and diagrams they acquire on some discussion forums on the Internet, they decide to give it a try.

Basically their system consists of a solar panel/module, a charge controller, batteries for direct hookup for DC current systems and an inverter to use with AC current systems, and some way to mount the solar panels/modules so that they can be turned into the sun. How it works is that the panels collect energy from the sun. This energy is routed via a charge controller, which prevents overcharging or reverse flow of energy, into the batteries where it is stored. The batteries can charge a system that uses DC current directly. However, if what you are trying to charge requires AC current, then you use the inverter. The number of panels/modules and batteries that the family ultimately invests in will determine what they can and cannot charge.

Having reached a personally satisfying plateau in food, water, and other supply areas of their plans, Scott and Sissy sit down and try to deal with the business continuity issues they will face because they operate their own business. This business is their sole source of income. Property management, the nature of the family's business, requires dealing in both the financial arena and the public arena on a daily basis. Since he is the primary technician for the business, Scott has concerns about potentially bringing a flu virus home. Both spouses are aware, due to financial, legal, and moral reasons, they cannot just drop everything and run for the hills like some of Sissy's Internet friends have plans to do.

To this end they develop several layers of protection that will be enacted as any hypothetical threat from a pan-flu event begins to be realized.

At the first sign of efficient human-to-human transmission anywhere in the world Scott will begin the strict use of PPE and antiseptics when dealing with house calls, especially when handling money or doing plumbing repairs. They will complete buying any supplies that they are still in need of. They will begin construction of an disinfection station outside of the door that leads to their home office. A packet of information will be distributed to tenants with suggestions on how to reduce their risk of infection, possibly the document called _Influenza Pandemic Preparation and Response: A Citizen's Guide_.

Next,

When efficient human-to-human transmission occurs in the USA, Scott will begin to disinfect prior to entering the home after being at work, utilizing their disinfection station which will include an outdoor shower. Additionally, Scott will make a concerted effort to hire outside mechanical and electrical help at this point so that he is exposed less, but they recognize that this may not be possible or may not be financially feasible. Scott will also encourage the people he hires to use PPE. At this point a notice to tenants will be distributed informing them that normal maintenance items will be done on an "as needed" basis, at the discretion of the property owner. They will enact a twenty-four hour, last-minute prep run, assuming it is feasible.

Finally,

When efficient human-to-human transmission occurs anywhere within their state, very stringent repairs and maintenance criteria will be put in place and Scott will have to decide how much he will ultimately be leaving the house, if at all.

The major problem with their plans is that the rapidity of advancement of infections may be so quick that they have to jump from normal operating procedures to their highest level of disinfection protocols virtually overnight.

Scott is convinced that the business continuity plan will continue to evolve until a hypothetical pan-flu event actually occurs and that the plan must to be as flexible as they can make it. The difficulty lies in dealing with so many independent contractors and households that they have so little direct control over. There is no way that they can afford to prep for every single worker that they occasionally employ. Nor can they force those independent contractors or casual laborers to buy PPE for themselves. And there is only so much influence that a landlord has over the cleanliness habits of his or her tenants. This is a huge gray area in their plans that they feel they will have to address on the fly, as any situation develops.

They also spend as much time as they can hardening their financial plans like their IRA and a 401K plan left over from one of Scott's previous jobs. They are unsure what kind of access they will have to these investments during a severe pandemic so they try and have enough cash on hand to cover a couple of months of expenses but also have enough in the bank in case no one is taking cash because bill pay locations are closed. It is a difficult conundrum for them to plan around.

In addition to planning, one of the more time consuming tasks of pandemic preparation is inventorying what the family has been able to set aside. Sissy usually keeps a running tally of what they have, what they use and what they need. But once per month she does a physical inventory just to make sure her spreadsheets are correct. At the same time she rotates any items that are getting close to their expiration dates. And she also checks to see that she has correctly tallied calories for the items that she is stocking. It is not a perfect system, but it gives a more realistic idea of how long her stockpiled food items should last the family. This month's physical inventory reveals that the family has reached the seven month mark for food preps despite having dipped into their supplies quite heavily over the last couple of weeks due to having to pay taxes and insurance expenses for their rental properties. The deteriorating economy, precipitated primarily by corrections in the housing market, is also a troubling influence on their finances and doesn't leave them quite as much money to spend as they had anticipated.

Even though seven months sounds like a lot, their food plan only averages 2000 calories per day per family member. Sissy worries that might not be enough, especially if they do a lot of physical labor or their kids hit a growth spurt. The plan also doesn't make any allowance for nervous eating, or eating because there may not be anything else for them to do. With this in mind, and the concern over any potential additional economic downturn occurring after a pandemic event, Scott and Sissy agree to continue to expand their food prep inventory.

Their next plateau goal is twelve months. And, in addition to the canned and dried foods, they begin to explore more ways to have a self-sufficient lifestyle in the suburbs where they will likely be stuck during a panflu event. Some of their research finds that this is called Urban Homesteading. They aren't sure if they want to run a farm in their backyard, even if they could get around their county's code enforcement rules, but its worth a few experiments. Even the kids get in on the act. They try:

Container gardening  
Water catchment system(s)  
Home food preservation  
Edible landscaping  
Composting and garbage disposal methods  
How to make their solar energy storage system more effecient  
Solar charging for batteries including for cell phones and laptops

They also work out ways that they can continue cooking and doing other household chores in the event that the attack rate and CFR of the hypothetical pan-flu event interrupts normal municipal services and utilities. They build a small, stone grill and stock charcoal that they can use in it. They buy their first ever large propane grill and are eventually able to stock five of the twenty-pound propane tanks. They upgrade their camp stove to one that uses one-pound propane cylinders and has better wind flaps than their old one. They even buy a small, collapsible oven that fits on top of one of the burners that makes wonderful biscuits and casseroles.

The most fun the family has though is in designing and building several different homemade solar and reflector ovens. All of their projects use recycled material. The simplest is the traditional box oven that layers aluminum foil over a thick cardboard box. The fuel is charcoal briquettes. That design cooks a cake or pizza as well as a traditional electric oven will. They also make buddy burners and hobo stoves from old tuna cans and #10 metal cans. That set up works more like a skillet and you have to be very careful, it can get very hot. One of the most useful projects they make is a reflector oven made from sheet metal Scott has left over from a construction project. This reflector oven is also able to fold down for easy storage, and can use almost any heat source to cook with. Their most expensive project is also probably the most useless. They take a metal trashcan and convert it to a portable grill or smoker. It works, but its usefulness during a pandemic is a little questionable. All of the plans for these projects are found on the Internet, so even the plans cost them nothing.

Since a hypothetical interruption in electricity could also affect the availability and price of fuel, they begin to create flexible plans to address their transportation needs. There is no getting around needing a van for their property maintenance business, but they do everything they can to keep the vehicles they have maintained and as fuel efficient as possible. They also stock all the gadgets and gizmos that they could possibly need to repair the van if they have to do it themselves … belts, motor oil, sparkplugs, fuel and air filters, fuses, transmission fluid, coolant, freon, etc. They already have a trailer that they use for hauling stuff to the dump, and they make sure to pay as much attention to the simple axle and bed set up as they do their van storing things like WD40, axle grease, and replacement tires. For travel much closer to home, they have their bikes, but again, they make sure to have replacement parts on hand including chains and inner tubes for the bicycle tires.

Heating isn't much of a concern for their part of Florida, but they do begin to build up nearly a cord of split wood just in case, storing it well away from their house and shed to avoid any problems with termites. Cooling is a much greater concern so they buy a few small, battery-operated fans and some hand-held bottles that they can use the evaporation-cooling technique with by spritzing themselves with water.

Lighting has been addressed by acquiring numerous "shaker" flashlights at a local flea market. They also acquire two solar charged lanterns and a lantern that runs on propane cylinders. For redundancy, they have lamps, lamp oil, and candles, but those are options of last resort due to fire hazard issues.

Despite all of their efforts, they think that it will take another year for them to reach their goal of twelve months of supplies and food. They could throw more money at the issue, but they don't want to stop living their lives. They want to continue to plan for a bright future, which includes college educations for their children. They want to continue having a little fun, so they don't spend every spare penny on prepping, opting to go to the occasional movie or eating out every once in a while. Nor do they intend on going deep into debt by maxing out their credit cards. That path just leads to a whole lot of trouble. After all, no one knows for sure when a pandemic will occur. Slow and steady wins the race. This is a marathon they are running, not a sprint. They are worried, but still cautious in their approach to prepping.

Its not solely a money issue either. They must put a lot of effort into finding the room to store all of their food and equipment. There is just no way that months worth of food for seven people will fit in their kitchen cabinets. Sissy envies her friends and family that have basements that can be utilized for storage, but in Florida the water table is too high; no basement or underground storage for her. Storage in the attic or shed isn't much of an option either, at least for food and paper products. Heat and humidity would cause too much spoilage.

They have found several other places to discreetly store and hide their supplies through out the interior of their home.

Under beds  
In the top of closets  
Out of sight under the sofa  
Behind rows of paperback books on bookshelves  
Inside the box spring part of their mattresses  
Behind the drawers of a captain's bed  
On shelves in their utility room behind the cleaning supplies

Despite limited space, even apartment dwellers can store a significant amount of preps if they are willing to use some creativity. But the more you plan on storing, the more creative you need to be.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

During the coming months Scott and Sissy begin to see that at least some people in the government, as well as in the private sector, are beginning to take a panflu event more seriously. This is seen primarily at the Federal level. There is the Pandemic Flu Leadership Blog sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services. There is commitment of funds to help other countries control the spread of avian influenza and other potential pandemic viruses and diseases. There are panels and committees formed to look into how to inform the public. There is a lot of talking about doing more talking, but it is better than what is occurring at the more local levels of government.

At the state level, guidance and public transparency starts breaking down. While every state in the union develops a pandemic plan, not many of them address any but the mildest scenario. Only a few states actually advertise their plans to the public. Some large corporations are planning for business continuity and employee protection, but most of the small businessmen still seem oblivious to the threat. Even the banking industry participates in a three week long dry run of their continuity plans. While there are some notable exceptions, the local level governments rarely have pandemic plans preferring to cite their state plan as enough even though this is about as unrealistic as can be.

Unfortunately for Scott and Sissy, they do not see any effort in their own local government to take serious responsibility for pandemic preparedness. Nor can they communicate their concern to the majority of their family, friends, and neighbors. They did manage to get Sissy's parents to do a little more canning and to stock a few long-term staple items but their limited income kept them from doing much beyond that. Too often though people laugh off their efforts. They feel like the proverbial ant trying to warn the grasshopper of the coming winter. The effort by those in government is too little to offer much legitimacy to the topic of pandemic preparation. There isn't enough talk about personal responsibility and personal accountability. Certainly the consequences of a pandemic occurring in our modern age of just-in-time delivery isn't widely discussed. The mainstream media outlets appear to chose to completely ignore the issue altogether in favor of celebutante gossip, the politics of the fashionable, and the troubled economy.

Scott and Sissy lose their illusions about being able to directly and immediately cause their family and friends to prep. Too many times they have gotten the rolling-eyes look in response, or are politely ignored. Still, they persist in trying to get the information out there in as many venues as they can. Their efforts aren't anything like Paul Revere riding up and down the street crying "The flu is coming, the flu is coming," but they at least feel that they are reaching a few individuals.

As part of their effort to stay informed, Sissy participates in online communities called forums that have been specifically set up to discuss influenza issues related to the possibility of a pandemic. On these forums she meets a lot of people who are also concerned about informing their communities about the dangers posed by a pandemic. Sometimes the discussions are about a pandemic similar to the 1918 Spanish Influenza. Sometimes the pandemic is hypothesized to be milder like 1957 (Asian) and 1968 (Hong Kong). More often the discussions consider a pandemic rivaling the scope of the Black Plague of the Middle Ages but which plays out in the modern era. This is primarily because the CFR of the most likely viral candidate isn't coming down, but has actually risen over the last couple of years. Right now, if a patient is diagnosed with that strain of avian influenza, they have only a 30% chance of survival and their long-term prognosis isn't good. Some patients even have their brain functions compromised so that even if they do survive, they will suffer for the remainder of their lives with the consequences of the original infection.

People from all walks of life, every socio-economic level, and wide-ranging political beliefs come together on these forums and to create tools to educate others.

Excel inventory spreadsheets  
Guidelines for treatment of pandemic influenza at home  
Catalogs of alternative cooking methods  
Plans and diagrams for off-grid energy sources  
Detailed explanations of treating and storing water  
Checklists for community readiness status  
Flyers, slides, brochures, and other handouts that can be used at health and safety expos or academic presentations  
A two-week grocery list and menu for families who are financially challenged, but prepping inclined  
Recipes for using basic staple and long term storage food items  
Back-to-basics instructions for independent living  
News gathered and translated from many foreign news sources

The speed of bureaucratic assistance is barely creaking along but some mitigation legislation makes it through to the state level. This is supposed to force how the county and city governments will respond to a panflu event. One major piece of mitigation is that once efficient human-to-human-to-human (H2H2H) transmission occurs within the country, the state governments will begin to ready their mandates for school closure. Once efficient H2H2H transmission occurs within any state, schools will close for a minimum of 4 to 12 weeks, depending upon the attack rate and CFR. Another piece of the mitigation plan prohibits all public gatherings that involve children; such as Little League, scouting, etc. There is some talk of getting the United Way involved to force compliance of this last point. For those community service groups that receive funding from the United Way – a significant number – non-compliance would mean the loss of funding.

There is an initial hue and cry by parent, business, and community groups when these community mitigation plans are made public. They quickly fall silent however when national and state planners release enough information about how the mitigation techniques will lower the mortality rate for children thereby lowering their ability to infect adults; this in turn would lower potential healthcare costs and lost wages. Silence is not necessarily golden however, as compliance is still an open-ended question since many mitigation plans have no legal teeth to them. And, the issues of disbelief and apathy are ever-present dangers to the ultimate usefulness and success of mitigation plans. Worst of all for these efforts is that some quasi-scientific groups within the medical-political arenas propose that mitigation is a waste of effort and money because it isn't ultimately efficacious in stopping pandemic infections and would be bad for the economy.

Some states are having serious discussions about pandemic issues. New York raises the issue of having enough ventilators as well as the trained staff to use them. Nez Perce County in Idaho actually reached out to the public for assistance in designing their pandemic plans. Louisiana sends out brochures on pandemic prepping, though most people on the flu forums consider the state's plan a direct opposite of the national mitigation recommendations. Some states place multi-page inserts in local newspapers.

But despite these plans being made at state and county levels, the information does not appear to be reaching the general public on a large scale. In fact, in some areas pandemic plans are marked confidential and require a freedom of information request before they can be viewed. Its enough to make someone wonder if the plans really deserve to be Top Secret, or do they realize just how poor their plan is?


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

When the Chapman's reach a comfortable level of nine months worth of food and supplies, the flu virus that they've been most concerned about for over two years begins to look like its about to make the leap from difficult transmission, high CFR to easier transmission and unknown CFR. It is changing from a low-probability/high-impact event to a high-probability/unknown-impact event.

Unlike in previous months where most infections were single individuals or the rare and small, genetically related family clusters, the current infections are becoming much more numerous and the clusters contain people that have no blood relation to one another. Mostly these clusters continue to appear in countries that have been hotspots of large animal die-offs attributed to this influenza virus; however, isolated human infections are beginning to appear in countries that have not experienced any mass animal die-offs. Even in military regime countries that previously only allowed very limited information on their animal die-offs and human infections to reach the outside world, the information can no longer be hidden and is slowly making it into western media stories.

While the bureaucratic powers-that-be still wimble around whether the clusters are human-to-human or the worse human-to-human-to-human (H2H2H) infection cycle, Scott and Sissy look at their supplies and realize that they are still not where they wanted to be by now. This really worries them. Sissy maintains a good inventory of all they have; but, on comparing the inventory numbers with the actual stock, they see there are particular areas where items have been used without being replaced. There is also an overall deficit because they weren't able to reach their next goal level of twelve months of preps. While that wouldn't have been as much of a problem last month, this month it really causes them a lot of concern. This month, given the information they have before them that they've gleaned from influenza and pandemic discussion forums, they decide to put their last minute emergency plans into action. They've been putting this off, hoping they would never have to, but it looks like a pandemic situation is fast becoming a reality they are going to have to deal with. Taking money that the family has set aside for "rainy days" they plan their strategy.

First, using their inventory as a guide, they fill back in the gaps that were created by not replacing what was used, especially all of their favorite ethnic foods and ingredients and those specialty items sold by small, local companies that might succumb to the economics of a pandemic.

Next, they look over their "must have" and "want" lists and finish purchasing as many of these items as possible. One item on this list is a lot of extra water filters. They order as many of these purchases as they can by C.O.D. just in case delivery is held up; they'd rather pay a couple of dollars extra than run the risk of being charged for something they never receive.

Taking the remainder of their lists, they divide them up so that Scott and Sissy can utilize their remaining time and resources as wisely as possible. They really stock up in the paper goods area – such items as toilet paper, napkins, paper towels, diaper wipes, feminine hygiene products, paper plates, disposable drinking cups and cutlery, ziploc bags, facial tissues, etc. They enlarge their bottled water inventory and also purchase canned juices, which have much shorter shelf-lives than their other prep inventory items. Any thing that is drinkable, with a decent shelf-life and on sale, is fair game including soda pop, juice boxes, canned soy milk products, flavored waters and the new vitamin waters, Gatorade, Power-Ade, energy drinks, etc. They also pick up a few "adult beverages" for things like cooking, toddies, and possibly for bartering if things get really bad. The hundred proof stuff can double as a disinfectant if need be. They even pick up several cases of beer to use as leavening in bread.

They buy several cases of bleach and stock up on several seasons' worth of pool supplies for disinfection purposes. At night when she can't do anything else, Sissy starts taking some of her bulk staple items and begins turning them into homemade mixes and convenience items using recipes and directions she has been experimenting with as substitutes for name brand items. These she stores in airtight jars and containers.

Lastly, but certainly not least, Sissy buys a lot more fresh meats and produce than she normally does and increases the time she spends on her own food preservation tasks ... home-canned meats, dehydrated fruits and veggies, home-canned soups, other home-canned convenience items, you name it. Every time she finishes preserving all the fresh items, she refills the refrigerator and freezer. She plans to continue doing this as long as she can, or until the money runs out. She isn't sure which will happen first.

Their shopping runs take them to places like their local warehouse club, several area grocery stores, some small specialty shops, a couple of local pawn shops, and a large building supply warehouse. They visit numerous family discount stores emptying whole sections of shelves as they take the last few of several items as they try and get the best price they can find for specific items.

On one such day Sissy picks up her cell phone to find her oldest daughter Rose on the other end.

"Hey honey, did you think of something you needed after all?"

"No, but a WD commercial was just on the radio talking about some three days-only BOGO sale they are having. You got mad because Bekah cut up all your grocery store flyers to make paper mache yesterday. I didn't know if you knew about today's sale."

"Oh man, thanks sugar! No, I didn't know about the big BOGOs going on today. If your dad calls looking for me, tell him I decided to hit WD and Publix today after all and that he could knock Dollar General off his list for tonight because I already stopped there and I got the last two cases of sliced beef and gravy that they would have for the rest of the week."

"Dad already called and he wanted me to tell you that he got some kind of great deal on some stuff at the Big Lots over there at the corner of Gunn and Casey. Said you would never believe it."

"What was it?"

"No clue. Dad had to get off the phone because the electrician he had been waiting on was trying to call in."

"Oh. You sure you and James haven't thought of anything you need? What about for the girls and Johnnie?"

"Mom! I can barely walk in my room as it is. Well, if you go by the book store can you check and see if the next book in that series we're reading is out yet? And the shade in my room broke again but I hate to bother Dad about it. It won't go up and down anymore. And one of Sarah's flip flops broke. James says he can't find the Super Glue. And Bekah and Johnnie ate nearly a whole box of Cheez-Its before we caught them."

"Argh! Hang on, let me get my list. Now tell me all that again ..."

On the weekends they hit every flea market and farmer's market within a thirty-mile radius of their home bagging several great deals on fruit and vegetables that are getting past their prime. During the week, Sissy is up before first light so she can get the best deals at the Produce Station, which is where many area grocery stores and restaurants get their fresh foods. Nearly every other day she comes home with a van loaded down with more cases of fruits and vegetables than they could realistically eat in a couple of weeks time. Scott places several large meat orders at one of the local Hispanic mercados that a former tenant manages. Large orders like this aren't unusual in the Hispanic community, as there is always a party of some type going on somewhere. While he's there, Scott also orders a lot of Chorizo and a few cases of some of his favorite ethnic foods from the little Tienda next door. He also stops in at a little Asian market down the street to see what they have that might be worth picking up. It is likely to be small places like this that are the first economic casualties of a pandemic.

Sissy runs herself ragged trying to preserve all of the extra produce and meats. One bit of luck though is that Scott thought to have the meats cut into easily preserved pieces and this saves a lot of time. Another bit of luck is when Sissy was going passed a estate sale and picked up nearly 20 cases of quart canning jars for less than a fifth of what she would have had to pay for them in the store because she was willing to take the whole batch at once. Twenty cents on the dollar is a major savings. The boiling water canner, the pressure canner, and her dehydrator never stop production except when she collapses at the end of the day. Even then, the dehydrator will sometimes run all night and the crock-pot perks away making things like fruit butters and soups to be processed in canning jars first thing in the morning. Its not just money and time that will determine how much of this she will be able to accomplish. When she runs out of jars, rings, and seals that will be the end of it as well.

Scott's primary task has been to go over every one of the rental properties and buy all of the supplies that he feels he could possibly need, or afford, to keep their business running. Pipes and plumbing supplies; drywalling materials; nails, screws, and bolts in every imaginable size; metal flashing, asphalt shingles and roofing tar; paint and painting equipment – they fill every available space in their large storage shed and it even spills over to their lanai.

Scott and Sissy also do their level best to double their personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately for their peace of mind depending on how you look at it, they must not be the only ones in their area concerned with the additional influenza cases. Masks, gloves, and other pieces of protective equipment are gone from nearly all of the discount locations and they are forced to do their best to stock up from medical supply houses, military surplus stores, and online suppliers. The bulk size bottles of hand sanitizers and hand soaps are also getting hard to come by. Sissy suspects some schools, daycare centers, and business offices are stocking up on the off chance a pandemic really does occur.

While these accelerated preparations are taking place, Scott and Sissy see that the situation with the clusters of H2H and H2H2H cases of flu is not improving. The elevated cases weren't a spike, but an upward trend. In their opinion, the situation is rapidly deteriorating. They begin telling their children that there are some world-events that may affect how the family socializes over the next few months. The kids have been aware of the situation. Who could miss all of the supplies and hectic buying their parents have been doing? How would it have been possible for them to miss their mother's frantic pace and the unusual dedication to canning? They had, after all, been warned to keep all of this to themselves and to not discuss it with their friends. When Scott and Sissy sit them down and give them the bad news, the kids are neither surprised, nor particularly happy, to hear it. Their attitude is that they are giving their parents the benefit of the doubt but are reserving final judgement until they see how things will affect them directly. Scott and Sissy have been trying to prepare them, but like many kids, a lot of things aren't really real for them until they actually experience them. The kids alternate between completely ignoring the situation as much as they can in hopes of making it go away to being obsessed and wanting to know every minute detail.

With so many suspect clusters now being reported overseas, Scott and Sissy decide not to wait on their twenty-four hour last minute prep run. This will really pinch them financially but they feel that they cannot trust that they will truly have time to put this into effect otherwise. They have no way of knowing if they will get the three to five day warning they had been hoping to get by monitoring the flu forums. They want to have all their prepping done before the general public finally takes notice and the stores go truly crazy.

They re-stock a lot of their home office needs, such as toner for their printer, rechargeable batteries, printer paper, pen refills, receipt books, and generally anything that they might need to run their office. They also throw in any supplies that the kids might need for school such as notebook paper, mechanical pencils, regular pencils and mechanical sharpeners, crayons and markers, writing pads, glue, and generally a mish-mash of anything that they can find on sale.

They make sure and top off all of their fuel containers. Good thing they think to do this now. It turns out James finished off one container while doing yardwork and forgot to mention it, and Scott used another to fill some of his equipment for tree trimming when he was clearing limbs from over several of the apartment roofs. Additionally Scott purchases three more twenty-pound propane tanks and make sure the ones they already have are all topped off. They have an extension hose that will allow them to use these tanks with their Coleman stove and lantern if necessary; but Scott decides to also increase their one-pound propane canister supply by nearly half. This purchase raised a few eyebrows and caused some questions. Scott manages to side-stepp the questions by saying they had a family event coming up and most people assumed he meant a large family reunion.

Sissy has used the "family event" answer to cover strange looks and nosey questions in the past. People are just naturally curious she supposes, but their family prefers caution to candor in these situations. There is no sense in advertising their actions and supplies. Where once they were anxious for people to emulate their preparedness actions, it is now so late in the game that it is far safer for people to take as little notice of them as possible.

Scott and Sissy do wonder how people are failing to notice what is going on with the avian influenza cases. Is it because it is still overseas and not in their own backyard? Or are most people simply not in tune with anything outside of their immediate sphere of influence any more? For whatever reason – scientific data review, professional analysis, or plain old intuition – there begins to be a general consensus on the flu forums that events are coming to a head; that the bubbles of activity are turning into a full rolling boil. This has been a long time coming. Even with the evidence before them, some forum members still continue to disbelieve that this is "it." They think events still have room to worsen before a pandemic will actually strike. And while this may be true to a certain extent, you eventually have to decide how "bad" is "bad enough" before you will act.

Scott and Sissy divide up the last of their "want-to-buy" lists and try to use their remaining time and money as wisely as possible. With Scott going one direction and Sissy going another, they manage to finish up their prepping in one long day. They refill both their vehicles with fuel at the end of the day and vow to keep them topped off from here on out. Sissy is in a bit of a funk looking at the mess their house is in. But at the same time it is a good feeling and a relief to know that they are now as prepped as they can be.

"Where on Earth am I going to put all of this stuff? I've used up all the obvious storage spaces." Sissy mumbles under her breath as she stares at all the piles in every corner of the house.

Hearing her Scott says, "I finished reinforcing two of the box springs while you were out. That'll hold a lot of this stuff. You can put cans in our queen size. That should at least take care of all these loose cans that keep rolling all over the floors."

"You are absolutely the best. You know that?" Sissy says as she gives Scott a great big hug. "I'll start doing that as soon as I put these kiwis and strawberries on the dehydrator."

"Don't do it by yourself. Get the kids to help. I'm gonna shove all this toilet paper under the girls' and Johnnie's bunk beds, then I've got to go. I've got a clog in the main line over at 15th Avenue. Hopefully it won't take long, then I'll be back."

"Are you taking Carl?" Sissy asked, referring to a guy who had been helping with casual labor at the apartments. "I don't like the idea of you having to do all that digging by yourself, especially not in this heat."

"He's going to meet me there. He just lives down the street. When I get back I promised to take Rose and James to Sound Exchange and if there is time to the bookstore. They want to spend their allowance on music, movies, and books since we've gotten them just about everything else. Sarah spent the last of her allowance and the rest of her gift cards when she and Rebekah were out with me last night. Have your spare glasses come in yet?"

Sissy grins and responds, "Good. OK. Great idea. And yes, I picked them up on the way home."

Scott just laughs and musses her hair before kissing her forehead on his way out of the door. Sissy locks the door, takes a deep breath, and switches back to overdrive and hopes she can get a few more hours of sleep tonight than she has been getting. Not only is she running out of storage space, she is running out of energy.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Suddenly, out of left field, a cluster of infected people in Mexico City is diagnosed with the same avian influenza strain currently seen in India and Pakistan. Scott and Sissy are knocked speechless. Where did this come from? Why weren't more people watching Mexico? Nearly everyone has been watching Asia and Africa. There hadn't been a single outbreak of high path avian influenza on either the North or South American continents; not even in birds. How could this have happened just out of the blue?

Shortly after the diagnosis in Mexico City is confirmed, there is an explosion of larger clusters of infected individuals in several Asian countries and all along various routes from Mexico into the USA. One coherent investigative reporter ponders whether the virus is travelling along illegal trade routes – drugs, animals, or human.

The virus quickly begins to make massive headway in all of Asia, Africa, and most of Europe. Many countries and organizations are stuck in whether to recall their charity workers from these areas of the world or leave them where they are. The UN is also dealing with the issue of whether to pull troops from areas where they are peacekeeping. The US immediately begins to recall its diplomatic core and some military staff, but sends them into quarantine camps set up in remote areas before allowing them to return to their stateside homes.

Federal troops and National Guardsmen are sent to assist in closing the US – Mexico border. However, despite quarantine attempts, without the active assistance of the Mexican government, complete border closure is impossible. Its too little too late and many rural border towns become funnels for illegals trying to find medical care for their family members. The US – Canada border is also being closed except at designated crossing points where people are screened for fevers and other flu-like symptoms.

Things quickly roll down hill at this point for the US and Canada. Human clusters appear in Texas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, New York and in several other locations and into several provinces in Canada. It is still unknown whether the original clusters appearing in Canada are a result of air travel or whether they are a result of border crossings. Once the clusters become so wide spread that it doesn't matter, the issue is left to those who will forensically determine what strain of the virus came from where and by what means.

Scott and Sissy double check their lists one last time and add a few things to their "last-minute-if-we-get-a-chance" list before instituting a strict SIP for Sissy and children. SIP refers to a form of self-quarantine called sheltering-in-place. It has more to do with social distancing than illness. It is a way to mitigate the risk to their children. Another term that has been coined for this is JAH or just-at-home. The kids are asked if there is anything that they must have or really want, because there will be no more errand running after today.

Scott starts off with the simple statement, "Guys, I'm sorry. It's time."

James is the first to respond. "You're kidding right? This is another family drill."

One look at her parents' faces and Rose says, "no. This isn't a drill. Can I at least email and call my friends before I have to turn into Bunker Girl?"

"Yes, you can email your friends – as long as you drop the sarcastic routine – but you need to tell them you won't be answering your cell phone for a couple of days."

"What?! Come one, what will it hurt if I make a few phone calls? I'm nearly 18 and I do my fair share to help around … "

"I don't care if you are 18 or 80. You are under our roof and part of this family. Your mother and I are trying to make sure we are all as safe and prepared as we can be. You watch your tone girl 'cause I won't put up with it. This is hard on all of us." Scott quickly snaps back.

"Rose, I know you are upset. And this certainly isn't like you to talk to us this way. But the rules are for a reason and if you take a moment you'll recall what we've talked about. We predict that the next couple of days are going to be a little crazy. We can double check emails before we send them out, but it is too easy to let something slip when we are on the phone. Your dad and I are being cautious for good reason. We've shown you clips of what happened in New Orleans after hurricane Katrina and of the LA riots in California. You also read about the College Hill riots on the othe side of town. Until we have a better idea of how thigns are going to play out, we aren't going to take any more chances than we have to. We don't want a single word about our preps outside of this house. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, and I'm so sorry, I just … I thought I was prepared to hear this … its just … you know hard. And the words just kinda fell out of my mouth when I didn't mean it that way and … Oh God … "

Scott quickly reaches over and catches Rose as she sinks to her knees and starts crying.

As Scott tries to comfort Rose Sissy says, "James, you get that too right? If you want to email your friends on Star Wars Galaxy or any of your other friends, that's fine. Warn them, let them know you might not be available, or whatever you want to say if anything. But, not a single word about our preps in any way, shape, or form."

"I get it. I get it. I just didn't think this would happen, or at least not so soon. This just isn't fair or something."

Johnnie climbs into Scott's lap and clings to him and Rose and Sissy puts her arms around Sarah and Bekah while she continues to James. "No one is happy about this son. There is a slim chance this might be nothing more than a nine day wonder, but your Dad and I don't think so. We believe we are in for a long, drawn out time in our lives. Until we can figure out just how bad things are going to be, we are going to take all of the precautions we need to."

"Your mom and I love you guys too much to take risks that we don't have to. You all have heard that old saying 'loose lips sink ships.' Well think of our home as our ship. Better yet, think of it as our Ark. At some point we knew we would need to close the doors to keep the flood out. Well, we are closing the doors now."

"Everybody understand?"

"Yes ma'am. Yes sir."

"Ok then. Go email, pm, or icq your friends. Your mom and I have have some things we need to do. If you can think of anything you need or want, you've got two hours to get us your list. And think hard because today is the last day we are going to be able to do this."

Luckily, because of their prior prepping, there isn't all that much left that they have to do. Thank goodness too. People have started getting concerned and the local stores are worse than the day before a hurricane strike and most of the shelves are already bare of snack foods, bread, sandwich meat, ice, and other traditional food-run items. Sissy made a last run to the book store, dollar store, and clothing store for the kids and nearly gets her vehicle totaled in the parking lot – three times. People are quickly going from concern to panic. The more people that react, the more people that react to that reacting. Sissy wonders how many people are out because they understand what is happening and how many people are out just because they see a lot of other people out doing this? 

_**Help!  
**_ _(posts similar to this one appear frequently on the flu forums during the opening weeks of the pandemic)_

 __ _I just couldn't believe what I was seeing. Every channel I flipped to had the same footage: incredible lines of people waiting to get into hospitals- everyone wearing masks, travelers at airport ticket counters fighting each other for the last remaining seats before severe travel restrictions were imposed. And the grocery stores and pharmacies looked like war zones! For the last two years, whenever I talked to my cousin, Laura, at weddings, family reunions and holiday gatherings, all she could talk about was that stupid bird flu! After last Thanksgiving I had told John I thought she was mentally ill! She was OBSESSED with planning for a flu outbreak! At first I tried to smile and changed the topic, but she always came back to it. It made me angry. Then I started to feel sorry for her, and sorry for Jason! He had to live with her! Laura and I had always been such good friends. We were really close as children, sharing summers at our grandma's house. We were really close, more like sisters than cousins, and stay that way into adulthood. That is until she read some science book that got her all scared and downright nutty! When she initially told me about it I tried to reason with her. After all, if things were that serious wouldn't we be hearing about it on the TV? Wouldn't there be huge newspaper articles about it?_

 _You'd expect the political leaders to be talking about it and warning everyone, wouldn't you? But there was nothing like that so we could relax! I told Laura she should forget it! I said Jason needed to take her on a vacation! She had been working too hard!_

 _She gave me pamphlets and handouts and emailed me countless articles from medical journals and even foreign newspapers. I would shake me head and think, "that poor girl!" And last Christmas was really too weird to believe. She gave our family a box of medical facemasks! I thought to myself, "Oh, good! We can use these when we take the kids to rob the 7-11!" I tossed them into the Halloween costume box and didn't think about them again, until now. I wonder if they're still OK to use?_

 _The mayor just came on TV and told everyone that schools are closed and families should stay home until further notice. How on earth can we do that? I have exactly one loaf of bread in the freezer and about 3 lbs. of ground beef. And my pantry isn't much better. I've just been too busy with my work schedule and the kids' soccer practices to get groceries for awhile. Well, I'll just have to swallow my pride and admit to Laura that I was wrong. "OK! You were right, Laura!" That won't be so hard to do. We really are going to have to depend on them for some help. I just didn't see this coming!_

 _But I've tried calling several times and there is no answer. It is so weird. Of all the people in the world I would expect to be home right now, it would be her! John said that the last time we got together, he  
thought he remembered them saying something about a "bug out" location. I had dismissed it as another in a long line of bizarre comments. I strained my brain. Yes, Laura said something about a cottage they had purchased on a big piece of land. But where was it? Could they be there now? How could they just run off and leave us?_

While Scott is out he risks getting several gallons of fresh milk. He also grabs some #10 sized cans of tomatoes and vegetables, a couple large bags of junk food that he has to just about fight for, and about 12 dozen eggs from the local membership warehouse. When he gets home Sissy scolds him soundly for taking the risk. What she faced in the stores was bad enough; she knows how much he hates crowds and shopping. He describes crowds that remind Sissy strongly of aggressive Black Friday shoppers – fighting for items, using shopping carts as weapons, and an almost hysterical mania in some of the people. Scott and Sissy are glad and relieved to be done with that part of their preparation.

They already, more as a direct result of the increase in postage than anything else, have their online banking system firmly in place. This was one of their more important financial continuity planning steps. Thank goodness they decided to invest in that solar powered re-charger system. They built it using a design suggested by a couple of their online buddies on the flu forums. It's only powerful enough to charge small electronics like cell phones and laptop batteries, but its added insurance they sorely need.

One of Scott's last chores is to put in a mail change of address for the P.O. Box to have all of their business mail sent to their home address. This will cut out one place they need to travel to daily. It isn't certain how long, or how reliably, the mail service will run. Even in the best of times, the local post office has significant problems with timely and accurate mail delivery. That's why, when at all possible, the couple does most of their business and correspondence by email and fax.

Scott and Sissy place their own emails to inform the rest of their family that they are taking no chances and are going into SIP-mode for the children's sake. Sissy's parents give them a vote of confidence but some family members immediately begin to berate them for overreacting and panicking. What they mean is, "Don't call me and scare me, I don't want to be scared." Sissy hopes that everyone installed the video conferencing equipment that they gave as Christmas gifts last year. They remind the recipients that the Internet will be the best way to contact them from now on as they are reserving the phones for emergencies only. Scott has already received lots of calls from tenants and business associates over things it is now too late to do anything about. The volume of calls has been such that they've been forced to put the phones on vibrate or silent mode. The messages go to their voicemail for checking later. It was getting impossible to get their work done. 

_**The First Full Morning of Quarantine**_ _  
(from Cottontop)_

 _First one up this morning, as usual. I still see a few cars going by. I haven't turned on the t.v. yet. I'm not ready for the "news" this morning. We were up late last night. Daughter was upset because she couldn't use the phone. We wanted her to stay off, just for the night. I tried the internet but got mpatient waiting for it to load. I need to get to the wiki. Will try back later today._

 _You know, I'm sitting here, still in shock. I cannot believe it actually happened! I want to be able to walk out that door, and carry on with my day. But I won't be able to. I don't know when I will. Stomach is upset this morning. Nerves. Guess I'll clean. Weeding to be done. It'll be a nice warm day, so at least we can sit outside. At least we can be somewhat normal. The power still being on will allow us to do that. Don't know how long that will last._

 _When I mentioned this to the fam last night, I could see the blood drain from their face. Hubby's been drilling me with questions. I answered, than he said he didn't want to talk about it anymore. The look of worry on his face. I didn't want to answer his questions. I couldn't give him "look on the bright side" answers. The phones ringing._

 _My friend and her husband are stuck 1½ hours away. They've been with his sister, as she's been sick. Their oldest daughter, who's best friends with my daughter, is at another friends house, and their  
heading out to get her. I couldn't tell her not to. I'd probably do the same thing. She is frantic. They have no supplies, and she doesn't know what they're going to do. But she knows I have supplies. Brother. I'd hate to loose my friendship because of some bird flu! Sigh. Guess I'll turn the news on. Damn bird flu!_

On a good note, their home state of Florida, having dealt with other catastrophic events, appears to be dealing with the mitigation techniques better than a lot of other states in the USA. Schools are summarily shut down for a minimum of four weeks by emergency order of the Governor and District Boards of Education, and all public gatherings are prohibited until further notice. That's not to say things are going smoothly, but at least the chaos is being managed fairly efficiently.

Of course, lawsuits are immediately filed on behalf of individuals that feel that their rights are being violated. The Governor puts the National Guard on alert and lets people know that he is not afraid to call them out if cities begin to get out of control. Some tourist based businesses and entertainment businesses continue to remain open, but see a significant loss of income because strict curfews are being enforced for anyone aged 17 and under.

Anyone on the street that even looks like they are under 18 is stopped and their IDs are checked. If they appear in this check system (which is computerized and a system that was created for just such a catastrophic mitigation tactic as this) then the child's parents are fined a very large sum of money which will be tracked. If the parents are unable to pay the fine, then this will be translated into community service hours. Refusal to pay or do the community service hours will find the parents in jail, under the same system when fines and community service hours are assigned in a court case. The justification used for this is child neglect or child endangerment as it is defined under the Florida Statutes defining child abuse and parental custodial responsibilities. There is quite a bit of shock at how quickly the government has gone on the offensive in certain areas. Even Scott is pulled over and his van checked when a vehicle matching the description of his van was seen with several suspected underage passengers.

Overall, it appears that parents are slow to realize the seriousness of the powers that be with regard to strict SIP for the 17 and under crowd. Many of them are shocked when schools and daycare facilities don't return their phone calls and that they receive little to no sympathy from those that have been warning them for months what would happen. The powers that be are too busy trying to help those that at least made the effort to prepare themselves and have too few resources available to help those that refused to even start. It's a rude awakening for people that are used to being first in line for assistance because they are always the last to attempt to help themselves.

On the heels of this, businesses quickly realize that it makes more sense to close and save what revenue they've already earned than to stay open and go into the red. Despite the bright outlook posed by the National Restaurant Association during some of their pandemic planning meetings, many restaurants begin to fail both from lack of customers and due to their inability to get supplies to prepare food even if they did have diners. Employees in the entertainment and tourism industries fare more poorly than in other industries, at least in the initial stages of the pandemic.

As the true impact finally sets in, grocery stores, warehouse clubs, drug stores, and convenience markets are quickly overwhelmed and emptied of much of their stock. Employees abandon their posts as they try and secure supplies for their own families. Some stores are looted and damaged when managers try to put a system of rationing into effect. Or by manic crowds desperate to get "their fair share." If anyone ever considered that places like Wal-Mart, SAMs, or the malls would be great places to bug out in during an emergency situation, they would likely find themselves in a horrible position. Many such places are barely recognizable after the crowds have been through them like an Old Testament plague of locusts.

While all of this seems to occur in slow motion, it is actually a matter of a few days. In some cities around the US things get dark even more quickly for families with children who refused to listen to the entreaties to prep for a minimum of 12 weeks.

These first days, right after the reality of the situation sets in for many people, is one of the darkest times so far. It hasn't however reached unbearable levels. A lot of people are talking and complaining. Even more lawsuits are filed ... what they expect to resolve is anyone's guess. But mostly people are focused on waiting for someone, somewhere to make things better. Where is the Calvary? Where are the emergency supplies the government should be giving away free? Those that have been prepping for a while know that neither will happen. It is an unrealistic expectation and a myth that the Federal government has vast stores of food set aside for emergencies. While there are some stockpiles, it certainly isn't enough to feed over 300 million people for an extended period of time.

While many families are keeping their children sequestered, there are nearly as many who either don't care or cannot control their children's behaviors. Rose and James are surprised at how some of their friends are acting. They also get upset when some of the friends cut them off when they refuse to break curfew or agree with their rebelliousness.

Scott and Sissy keep up with friends and family as much as possible. Sissy keeps a diary where she tucks the letters, emails, and print offs of entries from the flu forums she tries to visit online. Despite having FiOS, some sites are extremely slow due to being overrun by hysterical people looking for help on prepping or influenza. There are a lot of angry posters and more than a few crackpots offering "flu cures" (usually for a hefty price) as well. The moderators of the forums are kept busy trying to weed through the thousands of new posters, while forum members try and point new posters to places to find the most reliable information. Sissy does her share, but it is a nerve-wracking activity that she can only take part in for a few hours each day. The rest of the time she spends trying to maintain some normalcy for her family as they go through a strained adjustment period to their very restricted lifestyle.

Up to this point, the human clusters have been dealt with using quarantines and influenza medication blanketing. Unfortunately as the number of clusters quickly increase, the health care system begins to show the strain. Additionally, they begin to have staff simply not show up for work after several health care workers (HCWs) catch the virus. Viral medications, such as Tamiflu, are also running short as most of what is available has been set aside for the use of the medical profession and first responders such as law enforcement and members of the fire departments.

The casualty numbers begin to appear on the mainstream media outlets. People in the clusters begin to die despite extraordinary medical interventions. Viral-medication-resistance has become the norm, though that is not as widely mentioned by newscasters. Many people are already antibiotic-resistant due to overuse through out the years, so trying to treat the secondary bacterial infections common to influenza is made more difficult. MSRA is added into the already deadly situation. Some spin-doctors try and say that it isn't the virus that kills, and only those who catch secondary bacterial infections die. This does nothing to help the powers that be encourage SIP for those families who need to.

Then the unthinkable begins to happen. There are some cities that have chosen not to implement stringent mitigation practices in the school system. In one of these cities an elementary aged child is sent home with a mild fever. The next day there are an unusually high number of absences ... some put this down to fear and nothing more. By the third day over half the elementary school is absent and in some of those homes, no one is answering the phone. By the fourth day, the first deaths have been reported including the child that was sent home. By then it is too late. Clusters have appeared in many of the city's schools where siblings of children that attended the elementary school go. Clusters are also reported in areas where adults who had contact with these children frequent ... work places, stores, churches, in other family groups, etc.

That first city isn't the only one to experience this and the affect snowballs.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Careful scrutiny - if you can wade through all the background noise of the mainstream media outlets - reveals that cities that quickly instituted strict mitigation strategies are doing better than those that did not. And, of those that did institute mitigation strategies, those with higher compliance rates are doing the best. Scott and Sissy are pleased to see that their state and county appear to be quite serious about the mitigation strategies. This surprises them somewhat as they hadn't had a great feeling about this before the pandemic started, but the current state government is showing that it is quite willing to be ruthless as needed.

The message begins to sound long and hard, follow the suggested mitigation measures. If you do not, you put the rest of us at risk. If you put us at risk, you will be considered a threat and treated accordingly by all legal avenues available. And in some cases, vigilantes act to "control" those families who refuse or act unable to control themselves. Law enforcement, already stretched too thin by absenteeism, is unable to address all of these incidents and they become so common that they begin to rarely make it into the news except as afterthoughts. Also, the reality of "if you loot, we shoot" begins to sink in. This goes hand in glove with Florida statutes outlining the liberal use of deadly force under certain conditions.

During this initial first couple of weeks, Sissy and her family continue to try and maintain a certain amount of normalcy. They continue to homeschool their children. Scott continues to work, though its not like his previous schedule of leaving at daylight and returning after dark. They still continue with their normal cooking and cleaning schedule. But things aren't as normal as they at first appear. Scott is reinforcing doors and windows. The kids aren't allowed in the front yard and their parents monitor all of their contacts. Sissy is frantically reorganizing all of their supplies. All of their choices now revolve around keeping their family secure and infection free.

They make a conscious decision to use their resources as wisely as possible. They use all of the fresh foods that are in the refrigerator that they can't quickly preserve in some manner. They go through all the remaining stuff in the freezer and if it can be canned in mason jars, that's what they do. They also convert all their sticks of real butter into ghee that does not require refrigeration. As their refrigerator and freezer empty, they refill it with drinkables and bottles of water.

After everything that can be processed for preserving is set aside, Sissy inventories what remains in their refrigerator and freezer. The inventory reveals in the refrigerator they have an almost full gallon of milk (15 of the 16 cups that make up a gallon), one quart of orange juice, a variety pack of sandwich meats, half of a 2-liter bottle of 7Up soda pop, a half bottle of Bloody Mary Mix, some flank steak that you hadn't put into the freezer yet, two loaves of sandwich bread, 1 package of hamburger buns, the tail end of a small can of pineapple juice, a large tub of margarine, lots of miscellaneous, opened condiments, several blocks of cheese as well as a couple bags of shredded cheddar cheese, most of a pie, two and a half packages of sliced bacon, half a container of sour cream, some fresh salad fixings, two green bell peppers, a small bag of onions, and a small bunch of celery.

In the freezer there is some frozen bread dough, a quart of vanilla ice cream, a 4 lb pork roast, a 2 lbs. Boneless chuck roast, several pounds of chicken pieces, two frozen pizzas, about two pounds of shrimp, a medium sized beef brisket, a bag of corn on the cob, a couple of pounds of ground beef, a pound of ground pork sausage, a large bag of frozen hashbrowns, and a bag of frozen chicken nuggets.

On the counters and not counted in the other preps are a small bunch of bananas and a bag of mixed apples. There is a large box of Twinkies that was a panic buy at SAMs because Scott thought they would last forever and a partial bag of chips or other snack food such as Cheez-its or pretzels. There is an unopened can of Coca-cola that Sissy had bought at a convenience store while she was out prep shopping but which rolled under the car seat and was forgotten; until it was found everything was being inventoried in the bug out bags that were in the car trunk. And there are several bags of potatoes that Sissy bought on sale on her last crazy prep run.

Everyone knows in advance what the next day's menu is going to be as Sissy posts it on the refrigerator door. This takes the guess work out of the daily chores. Doing this also means the family utilitizes all of their supplies in an economically efficient manner, getting the most out of every item possible.

One of the tools Sissy uses to evaluate how things are going food wise, besides her family's meal time comments, is her entries into their family journal. Their first day's worth of SIP meals appear like this:

 _I mashed enough of the bananas to make breakfast with then hid the rest of them so that they weren't a temptation for snacking. I'll use them to full advantage over the next couple of days. I made sure everyone knew that the 7 Up is for cooking and not drinking and had to close my ears to the groans. This is important so I put duct tape on the lid as a reminder. I took the flank steak out of the refrigerator and set it to marinating for dinner in a gallon ziploc bag. About mid morning I also took the pork roast out of the freezer and put it in the refrigerator so it will be thawed and be ready to set to marinating tomorrow morning._

 _Breakfast: 7 Up Banana Bread; beverage(s) of choice - such as coffee or tea - except don't use the gallon of fresh milk. Everyone gets a small glass of OJ for breakfast and that finishes off the quart of orange juice._

 _Lunch: Sandwiches made from one loaf of bread and the variety pack of sandwich meat; most of the chips that you had leftover from before SIP. The kids can have a small glass of milk with breakfast (that uses up 3 of your 15 cups)._

 _Dinner: Fresh salad topped with whatever dressing(s) is open in the refrigerator; Lemon-Lime Flank Steak; white rice; black eyed peas; dessert is the remainder of the leftover pie._

 _I made sure to sanitize the gallon ziploc bag I used for the flank steak. I want to re-use it tomorrow to marinate the pork roast in. I put another two liter of water in the freezer into space freed up when the flank steak and pork roast were removed._

The social and academic activities that Sissy and the children are normally heavily involved in are no longer available to them. Even if they wanted to, mitigation protocols in place have cancelled gatherings involving children such as sports leagues and club meetings as well as all school and school-sponsored events. This is rigidly enforced by law enforcement. At first it is a big struggle for the whole family; especially for James and Johnnie whose schedule normally included lots of sports and other outdoor activities. But as reality sets in their attitudes smooth out. Scott and Sissy, however, are under no illusion that there is not a certain price to pay for SIP with five children of differing ages and personalities.

The oldest two, Rose and James, are mature for their age and very responsible at home. They are highschoolers. Part of Rose's outburst at Scott's announcement is due to this being her senior year of highschool and she has shed more than a few tears over the loss of what was planned to be an incredible year. No graduation activities, no prom, no walking across stage to thunderous applause, no bows in the last drama presentation she would have been able to be in with a group she had been involved with since middle school. Rose is also dual enrolled at a local community college. Luckily the classes are already an online type course so she continues on as best she can. She really misses church too, where she is heavily involved in student leadership. Of the five kids, she is also the most aware of just how bad things could get and she is very scared. For now she is just trying to get by and stay afloat mentally and emotionally and show that she is more support of her parents' decision that she initially appeared.

The next child down, James, is a sophomore in highschool. Somehow or other the idea of security has stuck in his mind and he is showing evidence of some strain. He won't let his sisters out of his sight and has taken to sleeping on the floor in Sarah and Bekah's bedroom. Scott and Sissy finally find out that he heard a news report of a family whose house was broken into and ... the story was quite graphic and has had a lasting impact on James. Scott and Sissy struggle with trying to alleviate his fears, but they cannot in all honesty tell him everything is just fine and dandy in the world. Or lie to him and tell him that the news broadcasts are false or exaggerated and that he can just ignore them. Scott does his best by getting James to help out around the yard and by playing some rough and tumble sports with him in the backyard; anything to help him work off some of his anxiety and to get him talking.

So far the youngest three are managing better than Sissy expected. Sarah is the middle-schooler. She is normally more dramatic so her easy acceptance of the situation is probably temporary. But so far, as long as people in the family are willing to listen to her talk and pay attention to her then she appears content with the changes in her routine.

Bekah is in the third grade and is normally easy-going though she can have a temper. But she is also a people-pleaser. Scott thinks her behavior is driven more by seeing her parents worry than any real understanding of what is going on. She is making art projects and giving them to anyone that seems to need extra attention. She is giving lots of hugs and wants to sit in Scott's lap more. Its pretty obvious she is feeling the tension even if she doesn't fully comprehend the reasons causing it.

Both of the girls worry for their friends. But at their ages corresponding via email isn't always reliable. All the kids, including the older two, add something at the end of the Grace at dinnertime, usually mentioning a friend or family they feel might be in need. It's sweet and heartbreaking at the same time. But Scott and Sissy don't suggest stopping because this is at least one way to help them express their feelings.

Johnnie is the toddler and "all boy." He is also the baby and has gotten spoiled. He pretty much follows the older four kids around all the time trying to imitate nearly everything they do. His energy level can be trying, so everyone in the house has to take turns being his "keeper." He thinks he is being punished when he is told they can't go to the park or to any of the classes he is used to participating in like pee-wee sports or preschool at church. Its frustrating for him because he doesn't understand and frustrating for Scott and Sissy as they try and redirect him to more positive thoughts than he must be a "bad boy." They keep as much outdoor/backyard time into their schedule as possible to help all the kids with the tension. Sissy isn't sure how much good it does, but it keeps them from moping inside the house.

Scott and Sissy bought lots of books – some new, some used – to help the kids fill the hours that they aren't doing schoolwork or chores. That was a good move, and it is working well. There are also lots of puzzles, board games, craft supplies, and sports equipment to be used during leisure time. They recorded lots of history, science, and travel shows for the kids as well. Sissy downloaded lots of old movies off the Internet and lots of audio books and burned everything to disc. She doesn't normally like to assign the kids "busy work" with their lessons, but right now it helps the kids focus on something besides what they can't control and the unfairness of it all.

* * *

 **Day 9**  
(shared by Cottontop)  
We are settling into a routine, not much of one, but a routine. During The day we clean. Hubby goes out to the garage while we clean, do laundry if needed, weed, and garden. My lavender plants are ready to be harvested, and the St. John's Wart is in full bloom. Beautiful yellow flowers. I harvest some mint for my tea. The chocolate mint I planted didn't make it. Don't know what happened. Garden, overall looks good. We just need some rain. After lunch, Hubby takes a nap (more out of boredom), and the girls and I sit at the table to attempt studies. If we're too distracted, we'll craft. It's good quiet time. We've been sitting on the patio in the evenings.

Our next door neighbor told Hubby two days ago that he's going to have to shoot his horses and alpaca's. He won't be able to feed them, and his feed supply won't last much longer. He's concerned too, dogs that have been let loose will prey upon his animals. He asked Hubby to help him drag them off in the woods with the tractors. He relucantly he said he would. I later said that I was uneasy about him being to close to the neighbor. He said not to worry, and smiled.  
Yesterday morning, we woke to the sound of gunshot. baby girl jumped in bed with us, pulled the blankets over her head, and said "What's that?!" I just told her it's o.k. and kissed her cheek. I found the oldest on the couch with tears. She had been in our neighbors 4-H club last year, and worked with the Alpaca, showing one at the fair last year. She won her first 4-H awards with the Alpacas. We listen to the gunshot, and his wife screaming. It was a difficult morning. Hubby helped him drag those poor animals off to the woods later on.

I haven't heard from my friend since she called me 9 days ago. I'm very worried for their safety. I haven't heard from my mother for as long. I'm so sick with worry for family and friends. Most did not have supplies, and were attempting to leave to be with relatives. The phone hasn't rung in 4 days. Kind of eerie though. I'm doing all right. I think we're all all right for now. It's still early.

* * *

So far the Internet is still up, though there are times when it is slow even with a high-speed connection. The people on dial up are worse off. Websites go down more often and some junctions have to be re-routed because of staff absenteeism and parts breaking down. The government is requesting that websites that use a lot of bandwidth for graphics and sound to either temporarily shut down or somehow minimize their usage so that traffic doesn't bring the entire Internet crashing down. YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Whatsapp are some of the worst hit by these new rules. People can still blog and post, but their sites have been stripped down to mere skeletons. This hits teenagers and some young adults worst, especially those who spent most of their free time on the Net. Now with schools closed, groups gatherings cancelled, phone lines unreliable, and curfews this age group is having pretty severe socializing withdrawals. They are beginning to make lots of noise about their discontent and Scott and Sissy aren't the only parents whose wits and patience are being stretched thin.

To make matters even more difficult, some donkey's rear-end created a really bad computer virus out ... cutely called "the cure for H5N1." People are scared enough and desperate enough that they aren't paying the attention they should to opening strange attachments. People who have kept their computer virus protection up ... just like those who have prepped ... have a much easier time of it. This virus is also affecting the mainframes and networks in nonresidential sectors. With IT departments of companies already over burdened with connectivity and security issues, or nonexistent due to job shuffling and absenteeism, many businesses are finding it necessary to return to paper forms and manual calculations rather than rely as they previously had on computer technology. This problem also affects utility companies and their suppliers, magnifying an already growing problem.

Scott has to this point continued going out into the community to address maintenance issues and collect rent from their tenants. Many of the tenants are already falling behind on their rent and it isn't even a month into the pandemic. Scott and Sissy shake their heads and wonder what to do. Looking at their business continuity plans, they decide that it will be necessary for them to cut back to emergency-only repairs. Those emergencies will be prioritized. "Emergencies" created because kids broke something or clogged up the toilet will be put on the bottom of the list ... tenants have been repeatedly warned that they are responsible for their children's and their guest's behavior and actions in their Leases. But to remind everyone yet again, a memo is quickly distributed to every rental unit. Several of the tenants are not happy with the enforcement of rules and threaten to take them to court. Scott merely distributes information on notification for non-payment of rent as it is covered in Florida statutes. He also points out that the laws allow for emergencies and if they feel like their unit is unlivable, they can move out after submitting their reasons in writing and getting the court to release them from the Lease. Some of the tenants try only to find out that without security deposits and reference checks, no one will rent them another apartment and the courts aren't hearing very many civil cases.

It's not only the risk of infection driving the change in how Scott and Sissy handle the business-related maintenance issues. The cost of fuel is getting outrageous. It is now in excess of five dollars a gallon in their area. In parts of California the cost of gas has risen to over $8 a gallon and is going higher quickly. Reflecting this, municipal mass transit routes around the country have been drastically curtailed and many gas stations are closing.

Luckily for most people in the USA, the virus hits during a relatively pleasant time of year. No one has to swelter in 100+ degree weather, and no one is freezing ... yet anyway. Countries located in the other hemisphere are not doing as well. There are already complete news black outs in some parts of the world. All anyone can do is sit and wonder what is happening in those places. News fatigue is becoming common ... how many deaths can they report with a straight face? It's like vultures circling the city.

As a result, a lot of people are turning off the TV and turning on the radio and Internet to get their news. Those still watching TV are doing so to zone out, escape ... or in some cases to do school. There are several public television stations around the country broadcasting lectures and assignments for the children in their viewing areas. Universities that have TV stations are doing likewise ... both for their students as well as for local public school children. In the evenings, after the educational shows are over, these stations are running informational loops on things like recognizing pandemic flu symptoms, home health care, local care facilities that are still accepting patients, how to purify water, etc.

Information IS available if you take the time to look. Blogs, forums and internet communities like those on Yahoo are proving to be more and more of a lifeline for those that need help and information, or who are just desperate to communicate.

Posters come together to share home health care tips, recipes, basic survival skills. In community specific groups, adults with no children offer to collect needed items for a family with children ... sometimes for no charge but often in exchange for some item that they themselves need like a car part or something similar. Freecycle groups and Craig's List are inundated with posts nearly to the point of collapsing those websites. While many of these groups are completely altruistic, there are also the foxes amongst the hens that take advantage of the situation. If people weren't wary before, they become so now. There is even some humor to be found, though a dark humor, as exhibited by a no name poster to one of the survival forums who said, "My first days were spent digging around in this massive wall of boxes I thought I had packed with an intelligent plan in mind; wondering how the heck does that work and what was I thinking when I ordered this at 2 am in the morning." All of this is going on and the pandemic is barely a month old.

The original government and private sector recommendation to prep for 3 days to 2 weeks has proven to be grossly inadequate. While those two groups eventually started saying "at least two weeks," too many citizens turned a deaf ear, or were content to say "we always have two weeks of food in the house." For those families that did add 2 weeks of supplies to their normal household grocery inventory, they maybe had a month of food in the house total. They are now beginning to run out of everything; certainly all convenience and snack foods are long gone from their cabinets. Meals are becoming a monotonous mix of the dregs left in the pantry.

Some of the most distressing posts appearing on the forums are questions on how to deal with family and neighbors who did not prep. Each person will have to decide that for him or herself, but there are no easy answers.

* * *

 _Almost a month ago, we got word from WHO that 20% of a town in India had fallen ill with avian influenza. At the same time, it was discovered that a remote village in Nepal was also being decimated by avian influenza and some areas of Indonesia, Vietnam and Egypt are suspect. Then came Mexico City. As some had predicted, WHO elevated the pandemic alert from level 3 to level 6 overnight. There was no warning given; no chance for leisurely last minute prep run.  
_  
 _Since dear husband and I both work in the education field, our schools  
closed down immediately upon the pronouncement of level 6. We bolted the doors, intending to SIP with the supplies we have on hand. I'm comfortable that we can ride this out - if we can avoid getting ill. With our various health challenges, getting the flu would be a death sentence. In addition, we also have to consider that our ferrets are just as likely to die if they get the disease as we are so we are trying to be extra cautious (our ferrets are our children!). _ _I had prepped a lot in the food area, sometimes over the objections of dear husband. "Don't you think you have enough of that?" he would demand. This caused a lot of stress between us, even in good times. He is also a fussy eater. It's been very hard for him to adapt to eating from our stored foods. I am fine with eating whole foods and being a vegetarian if necessary however my husband wants meat and potatoes at least once daily.  
_  
 _I'm to the point where I don't care if he eats or not since he's being such a pain. However, he's also diabetic and when he doesn't eat and take his medications, his blood sugar can rise to 400 or more, causing severe problems. I'm doing my best to make food seem like it's the things he likes, even if I have to fry things in lard to get the flavor he wants.  
_  
 _I tried to think of every possible contingency when I was prepping. We agreed that we would buy for us and only us since the two families next to us never wanted to hear about our "prep now" attitude. From prior conversations, we suspect that the older couple across the street from us had adequate supplies to tide them over and they are very competent gardeners to boot. We've seen them out and about on their property, tending to chores and seem to be comfortable with SIP.  
_  
 _But the two neighbors on either side of us have young kids and didn't garden nor lay in any supplies. It now appears that they have run out of food. Since I was known for sharing extra lasagna, fresh berries or canned jelly, these families have started coming over, knocking on our door and begging for something to eat.  
_  
 _Husband and I had agree - no sharing. But how can you turn away people who are your neighbors - and who have kids? If we all survive this pandemic, can I honestly look them in the eyes knowing that we could share some of our supplies and make them more comfortable?_ _Last night my dilemma was suddenly interrupted by the sound of someone rattling the front door knob. Even though all the curtains are drawn, I froze. Who is this person? "Should I respond or pretend I'm not at home?" was all I could think. Just when my fear was getting into high gear, I heard footsteps walking away. I retreated to my room to get the shotgun - just in case. A few minutes later I heard the the back door knob rattling. With the faint moonlight, I could tell that is was not any of our neighbors. They scaled our 6 foot tall fence and probably wouldn't have stopped until they were inside the house. I racked the shotgun and prepared for the worst when something must have scared the intruder off. They took off at top speed and I heard them clamoring over the fence and the thud of them landing on the other side. Then the quiet slap-slap-slap of running shoes on asphalt fading  
down the road.  
_  
 _My thoughts returned to my neighbors. Do we share?_

* * *

In Scott and Sissy's area, some very slow restocking is occurring in the grocery stores, but selection is no where near the quantity and varieties as prepandemic. There are very few fresh items available, despite a large harvest occurring in some parts of the country; those harvested foods are being held in the communities where they grew. Fuel costs have made it difficult for the corporate mega-farms to operate their machinery. This problem is even worse for the small, independent farmer. Harvesting has also been affected by the fact that infections and deaths have hit migrant worker communities disproportionally high; as did the early closure of the US-Mexico border. There is too much labor for too few laborers. Some small farms offer "U-Pick" opportunities rather than see the food rot in the fields. Few of the mega-farms have yet reached that point. In fact the large corporate farms have chosen to hire security to prevent hungry people from swarming their fields. Most farms exist in rural areas which makes transporting even small amounts of produce difficult.

Even if the food distributors wanted to, large-scale transportation options is a catch as catch can proposition. Many of the independent truckers are out of business or not taking on long hauls away from their home base. Many companies that maintain their own trucking lines have had to halve their fleets. Fuel costs alone make putting a truck on the road prohibitive.

When restocking of grocery shelves does occur, the prices are outrageous! Who wants to pay $8 for a gallon of fresh milk?! Chicken products and eggs were really cheap for about a week due to fear of infection, then they disappeared from the market and haven't been seen since. A loaf of the cheapest store-brand bread is going for over five dollars. Sissy is now glad that Scott thought to buy all of those eggs because they are probably the last fresh eggs their family will see for a long, long time. It's nothing but dried milk and eggs from here on out for most everyone, if you have managed to stock up on them prepandemic.

To address shortages and potential hoarding by black marketeers, federal and state governments quickly order grocery stores to impose quantity limits and only allow so many patrons in the store at any given time. Some grocery chains have closed stores in favor of consolidating what stock they can in central locations. Closed stores mean fewer employees to pay and less security to invest in. Due to the food riots that occurred in places like New York City, Chicago, Miami, and Los Angeles the stores that are still open have hired security guards and some of these guys are real bruisers. Screw up, cause a scene, and you'll either be forced to the end of the line or thrown from the store all together. And like bouncers, they keep tabs. Mess up once and you are on their list forever.

Speaking of bouncers, even in the midst of a pandemic, some businesses continue to thrive ... bars, nightclubs, and strip joints. You would expect businesses such as these to be the first to fail, but they continue to suck the life out of the people who frequent these places as a form of physical and mental self-medication. Prostitution has also continued to flourish, but instead of cash, the transaction price is given in cans of food, ounces of drugs or number of cigarettes. Due to this risky lifestyle, the "Corpse Crew" – a hazmat team set up to collect cadavers found on the street – routinely picks up several bodies each night from street corners and alleys known for their drug and prostitution problems. And not all of the deaths are flu related. Violence is particularly rampant in this level of society, even more so than prepandemic.

Because of their preparation Scott and Sissy are doing considerably better than those that didn't prep and those that only prepped for a couple of weeks. At this month's inventory, Sissy realizes they are using some items too quickly – snack foods, sodas, paper plates – and she begins stricter rationing of their supplies. Even so, just to make certain that not every item of a type is used up before planned, Sissy takes at least one of everything and hides it in several storage boxes that she duct tapes closed. This reminds her of a scene in the book Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank where the main character hides a small cache of items in the house only to forget he had done so. Sissy thinks instead of forgetting where she hides her "survival rations," she is more likely going to obsess about ways to never have to use them.

Sissy is still able to keep in contact with a lot of their extended family and friends located around the country fairly regularly; the news isn't always good. There have been several illnesses and some deaths. There are also several people that they haven't been able to contact at all. As blessed as Scott and Sissy feel about their own choice to prepare well beyond recommendations, they are as concerned for their family and friends who chose not to accept the challenge to prep at all.

One of the earliest shocks they faced was the death of her cousin's son; it came several days before the pandemic was officially declared. The young man was away at a prestigious northern university. He was one of the first of his family branch to even go to college, and he was doing it on a full academic scholarship. Everyone was very proud of him and had high hopes for his future. The cousin talked to her son one morning and was making arrangements to have him come home, just to be on the safe side. The next morning she received a call from the school administration; he and his three roommates had been rushed to a local hospital. Two days later the boy died in the middle of a fever induced seizure. It happened so quickly. It was nearly impossible to believe that a healthy young man could be gone in just a few days, all because of the flu.

Even though mail is becoming less reliable, it is still the primary mode of communication for many people. Sissy got a letter in the mail today from one of her family members that live up north. It had been delayed at some point and is already a couple of weeks old as she reads it. She feels so bad she tries to call her right away but the call won't go through. She leaves her an email, but she discovers once again that email just isn't the same as hearing the voice of the one you so want to reach.

* * *

 _Dear Sissy,  
_  
 _Just a quick letter to let you know we are doing OK so far. It has been a few days since we heard, at least "officially" that the pandemic has started, and cases are spreading in the United States. So far it appears that the casualty rate is very high. I have heard of at least 120 deaths in the U.S., with so many more reporting to hospitals, seeking treatment for their symptoms that the true numbers are not known, but the hospitals are already suffering the initial onset of collapse. So far I have not heard of anyone recovering yet. It's too soon I guess.  
_  
 _I had felt "the coming" for at least two weeks, due in part to watching what was happening in the world and on the flu sites. Dem and Monotreme had already started to "sound the alarm," so I was alerted before the majority of my fellow citizens had a clue that anything was going on. The reports of a strange sickness had surfaced in the news, but testing results had to be completed and no one was announcing what they thought it might be or that the pandemic had begun. I had already done my last "oh my God" trip into town and had picked up the items from my "Last minute Run List." I was still ahead of most by at least four days, before things really started to deteriorate. People looked at me funny, over a week ago, when I checked out with my baskets full of dog food, Clorox, batteries and fresh produce. They wouldn't look at me funny now. The world is not the same place anymore it seems.  
_  
 _As you remember we recently moved into our new home. I know we made the right choice. Way out in the country, a windmill for auxiliary water, 5 miles of dirt roads will definitely cut down on excess traffic. We are still strangers in the "neighborhood." Unfortunately, we haven't been here long enough to be "part of the landscape" and our neighbors, though pretty scarce, will still see us as "outsiders." I don't expect any of them to be asking for my help or vice versa, if it should come to that.  
_  
 _The good news is, since gasoline (when available and it is close to $7 gallon today I saw on the local news), is cash only, and supplies are already severely depleted, not a lot of people will be out driving around for the fun of it, or even out of necessity. By the time that most people thought to go and fill up their tanks, prices were already rising and stations were running dry, before the news even got "bad." Other parts of the world are already much more entrenched in the "battle" with the flu than we are it seems, and are already suffering severe worker shortages. No workers to load the ships, no ships it seems. I'm not sure yet how much that will affect us, but it can't be good.  
_  
 _Who was it that thought credit cards would continue to work? Fortunately, I have managed put away a couple of thousand in cash, in small bills, over the last couple of years, although I haven't had to use any of it yet. My last trip into town was before the PANIC buying struck. From watching the news, it appears cold hard cash still has a way with people, and for those with cash, they are still able to buy some of their purchases, as there are always those willing to make a buck out of other people's fear or suffering. Even if they are selling their own supplies at ten times the original price, there are those that simply don't have cash. Even the very well off found that their credit isn't helping their situation. The banks around here ran out of cash days ago. Everyone who didn't prepare are simply out of luck. Bread, water, milk and any sort of battery are totally gone from the stores though and I doubt they will be getting in any major shipments anytime soon. It appears that during the panic buying, the credit card systems were overloaded and it was slowing check-outs at the grocery stores and other stores, to the point that the managers said purchases had to be either cash, or a check with two forms of ID Most have since quit accepting checks as well. Some stores have simply shut their doors as they didn't have anything left to sell. So far, food stamps are still being accepted at the few places that do have some supplies. It seems that some with food stamps are better off for once than those with credit cards.  
_  
 _Around here the local news has suspended all regularly scheduled programming and is following the story of "The Great Pandemic" as they are calling it. Even the broadcasters are starting to sound scared. People rioting, police barricades, shooting in the streets, all of my worst nightmares are coming across the television in living color. Most of the coverage is not suitable for young children, but they don't even bother to try to temper what they are showing. The "officials" seem to be avoiding reporters so they are "interviewing" anyone they can find. I can tell you, I am scared.  
_  
 _The bad news for me is I called my three kids away at college over a week ago, with my "get home" speech. It is the week before finals and they said that they couldn't leave now, or the entire semester would be lost. I begged, I pleaded but they rationalized that there have only been a few isolated cases reported in their area, and that they would be fine for another week or so. "Mom, don't panic, everything will be fine," they said. The only thing I can do is hope that they are able to avoid any contact with the virus, until they are willing and able to leave. I haven't slept at all the last three nights, and spend my time sorting my supplies and deciding what I will use first and why. While my kids are waiting to finish their finals, they did agree to pack up their belongings and be ready to leave. I did take a little reassurance in that they could leave at a moment's notice.  
_  
 _They did manage to get an extra 20 gallons of gas in containers, after my initial phone call, before all hell broke loose, to bring with them, so they don't have to stop for gas on the way home. At least I hope that it will be enough. They are all planning on driving home together, the three of them, and they have one of their vehicles totally gassed up and parked, so it will have a full tank when they are ready to try to head "home." I only hope that the extra 20 gallons of gas will be enough to get them safely home to me. They are about 10 hours away by car, and they don't have the most fuel efficient vehicle. It is a truck though, so they should be able to bring a lot of their belongings home with them, IF they are able to get out, before a feared quarantine of their area is put into effect. They all have bikes and have them loaded in the back of the truck, so they won't be totally on foot, if something happens and they can't finish the trip by car. My worry is constant and incessant.  
_  
 _My husband insists on going to work every day, which is only adding to my concern and worry. If the kids were home, I simply wouldn't allow it, but since it is just me, I won't put my foot down until the kids make it back. I'm not worried about my health, but once the kids get home, I plan on keeping them from their Dad, until I am certain that no one is carrying the virus with them. Once they get home, and if my husband still insists on going to work, I plan on putting together food and water for him, and an air mattress, and he will be asked to stay at his office, until he is willing to come home for the duration. I have been thinking a lot about that as well, and think that if it reaches that point, to where he is willing to admit defeat, and the boys are home at that time, I will separate him in an old camp trailer that we have at our place, until I am sure that he is free of the pathogen. Hopefully, the kids will make it home and they won't be carrying anything with them, or everything I have done and planned will be for naught.  
_  
 _I tried unsuccessfully today to get on the Internet. No service available. I feel like my lifeline has been cut. No e-mails, no news I feel like I can count on. I'll keep trying. Cell phone service is also becoming jammed. "Please try your call later." I've only gotten through to my kids once in the last four days. They don't even have a land line. I wonder if there is a pay phone close to them, that they would think to try?  
_  
 _So much to worry about, but so far, I am not able to enact any of my well laid out plans. With the kids not home, and husband going to work everyday, I guess I just have to wait. So far, none of the school systems have actually closed, although I have heard a lot of discussions on the news about such things.  
_  
 _Everyone seems to be waiting until things deteriorate further. What is the matter with everyone? Don't they realize what is going on? God, I can't wait for finals to be over. I'm certain the University is waiting for the break to decide what their course of action will be. No one seems to be really ready to just quit living their stupid, mundane lives. Don't they see what is important? Most still feel that they won't get this "Pandemic," hell they don't even understand what it is and most don't really understand yet, that they could die during this. That their kids could die! Why weren't we more prepared? I feel like I know too much and only wish I was like "everyone" else...still "knowing" that things will just return to normal in a few days, and watching the crisis unfold on the news with an idle fascination. Many have still done NOTHING! There is a part of me that is hoping that it will all just go away, but I keep the television on 24 hours a day, and so far I haven't heard any positive news at all. Just more of the same type broadcasts...more people becoming infected, techniques for hand washing and limiting exposure, to use a mask or not...Don't panic, everything will be fine. The doctors and scientists have everything in hand. I think I am going crazy now. It is just a dull background noise now to me. Waiting is the worst part...watching and waiting.  
_  
 _If only my kids would come home, I know I would be fine...  
_  
 _Your Cousin_


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

A month turns into 6 weeks and schools continue to be closed. Public gatherings are still prohibited, and people are getting creative in addressing their cravings for social interaction. Some far-sighted tech people have moved resources and manpower around to keep the Internet up and running; it now thrums with social conversations and not just frantic searches for flu and survival information. Two of the newest uses for the Internet include mega-churches offering interactive, online Bible studies (as well as mp3's of sermons), and school systems offering interactive "virtual classrooms."

To deal with bandwidth problems, the Federal government took the unprecedented step of limiting First Amendment rights and shut down pornography sites and ask providers to temporarily disable websites that are low traffic/high graphics and/or have "questionable" content. A lot of sites that were strictly "store fronts" were also shut down. Ebay, all the department store dot coms, etc. Only the big bookshops remain (such as Borders and Amazon), but they are in danger of closing due to shipping issues. This has many wondering how far the government is likely to take their statutorily granted Emergency Powers. A lot of personally owned mainframes go offline and take the websites housed there with them as well, either because of technical problems, unpaid bills, or because they are shut down.

Because of moderate mitigation measures compliance, some areas of the country are doing marginally better than expected. Infection rates have leveled off though CFR remains high. In those areas, the health care system has been overwhelmed but hasn't actually collapsed except in a few extremely dense population centers. In some locations there is talk of reopening some public venues ... assuming the businesses are still afloat. There are even rumors of the schools reopening in four to six more weeks.

In areas where mitigation measures weren't applied quickly or seriously enough, or where compliance was low, there are definitely problems. Health care systems have basically failed or "collapsed under the strain" depending on your perspective. In some cities food riots - and riots due to civil unrest - have destroyed whole sections of towns and turned them into no-man-lands where only heavily armed National Guard troops will go. Looting has become a way of surviving. Dead bodies have to be collected by hazmat teams. The nightmare even spills over into the lives of those families that did prep. How do you tell your neighbor to go away when they come begging for food for their child? What happens when the adults in the house get so tired that trying to arrange security measures is a joke? What do you do when the riots that started on the other side of town slowly work their way to your front door?

The Federal and State governments, while trying to maintain civil liberties, have had to make difficult choices. They implement their Emergency Powers and travel in and out of the more troubled cities is curtailed - using force when necessary - to protect the lives and property of as many citizens as possible. This doesn't, however, prevent a migration of people trying to escape to somewhere "better." People leave by back roads singly, or in groups small enough, to avoid detection.

Scott and Sissy see civil unrest in areas of Tampa that have historically exhibited this tendency, especially the College Hill area which had also experienced riots in 1967, 1987, and 1989. Law enforcement is able to keep it in check more or less with the help of the local fire departments, but the arrival of National Guard troops is both anticipated and welcome. Fortunately or unfortunately depending on your view, a major military base is located in the southern part of the county with a large number of military personnel and veterans living throughout the area. The veterans are stepping back up to the plate and are using their military training and technical know-how as a temporary workforce to replace ill and absent workers in critical areas like utility management and repair.

That's the good news.

The bad news is while Tampa has experienced far fewer of the extreme hardships experienced by those that did not prep and those in cities that did not institute mitigation strategies quickly enough, they are not totally escaping the realities of a pandemic.

Many of the things that were taken for granted prepandemic are being impacted to varying degrees.

One of the first things that happens is that people with pets have to make choices on who will eat ... them or their pets. Rather than watch a beloved pet slowly starve to death many people set them free. The birdie pets are the first to succumb. Most of those birds haven't a clue how to survive in the wild, if their food is even available ... if they don't die of starvation or the bird version of H5N1, they are quickly brought down by predators such as domesticated and feral cats.

The fish and wildlife management people will have a time post-pandemic dealing with all of the exotic species that have been turned loose in ponds and streams. They'll also have to hunt down the larger ... already illegal ... "pets" that are set free in places like the Everglades and the Ocala National Forest.

Cats always seem to return the quickest to the feral state. Many of the cats that are allowed to roam free are doing well, if not quite as sleek and well fed as they were before. Worse though is that cats have been discovered to be carriers of the influenza strain. No one is quite sure if it is the super-strain that is now H2H2H, but the suspicion is enough for many felines to be shot on sight by fearful homeowners.

Formerly domesticated dogs now run in feral packs. The small lap dogs and the very old, very young, and those with health problems that were once coddled by their owners quickly fall victim to the realities of returning to the "wild." The packs now roaming free consist mainly of former guard dogs and dogs originally bred to fight or hunt. They are frightening to see as they roam down your street. People quickly learn to stay indoors if a pack is in the area and to avoid night travel and traveling at dusk when the packs are at their most active. There are some horror stories of people caught out alone and attacked by dog packs; but at least there haven't been any Cujo type stories of dogs breaking into houses. At least not yet.

Because so many predators have been released back into the food chain, many of the nuisance rodents are back under control. Mice and rats are kept in check by felines. Larger animals like raccoons and opossums are falling victim to the dog packs and are not being seen as often, except up a tree. There are sometimes fearful sounds of animal battles at night, but no one goes outside to investigate or shout at them to shut up. The sounds are now just part of the night.

It was back at the 3 week mark into the pandemic when people really started getting scared and fuel costs began to escalate exponentially, the impact of absenteeism began to be felt in the economy. The businesses that managed technical type operations felt it first. Most had managed to include enough cross training in their mitigation plans and they were getting by ... but they were just getting by. For every two people who are ill or absent there is only one replacement.

Municipal services and utilities have been as vulnerable to absenteeism as the private sector. One of the first things that Scott noticed was that garbage pick up became irregular. Luckily, they planned for this and set up recycling barrels for those things that could not be burned or re-used in some way. Sissy was certainly relieved to have most of the excess packaging on their pantry items gone. She removed most of the excess packaging from her storage items during the original prepping phase. This proved to be a huge bonus as it has saved storage space and is now saving garbage space.

Also, Scott set up a burn barrel to try and deal with paper and plastic garbage, especially the stuff that had any residual food particles like paper plates. In fact, Sissy stopped using paper plates because of disposal issues. They saved the remainder of their paper goods for use later "just in case" and have reverted to washing and drying the dishes like they used to. They even started using cloth napkins that can be shook out and used multiple times before they need to be washed. Scott doesn't like to use the burn barrel often because of the possibility of attracting unwanted attention, but piles of garbage attracts the dog packs, not to mention opossums and raccoons. They are stuck one way or the other, so they do as much burning after dark as they can and keep the flame as low and as unnoticeable as possible. They hope the smoke is less visible at night, but there is no way to minimize the smell of burning garbage.

Despite their attempts at subterfuge, some neighbors did realize what they were doing and one lady with a large empty lot next to a water-filled canal offers to let people burn their trash there so long as they help keep the place picked up. Her offer is quickly accepted by most of the homes on the street. One benefit to this is that a constant fire means fewer matches and lighters have to be used up ... people manage to somehow time their trash burning so that there are only a couple of people at the lot at any given time. The older adults in the neighborhood are looked after too ... all they have to do is leave their trash on their doorstep or down by the road and someone picks it up on their walk to the new burn-site.

But everyone is careful. The rainy season has passed and lower humidity levels mean things are drying out; no large fires and no unattended fires. That is the rule by mutual consent. Strangely enough, there is enough cooperation that things are working. The garbage service does eventually settle on bi-monthly pick-ups though they have stopped picking up yard debris. They will only pick up household refuse that has been divided up by recyclable and non-recyclable. But having to wait two weeks for a garbage pick up is a smelly pain, so everyone continues to use the burn site.

And speaking of yard debris and food refuse, a couple of houses have started their own compost piles. There is yard debris in plenty to use. Since so many people are being kept home, that leaves time to fill in and a lot of it is spent in the yard picking up. There isn't much useable food refuse to put in the piles; all the fresh produce has been used up. This makes the compost piles less vulnerable to animal invasion; but it means that most compost piles work more slowly than if they were well balanced in content. The piles don't break down as well or as quickly, and have fewer nutrients.

It is much worse in other cities. The news reveals there are places where the garbage has lain so long on the sidewalks that the smell of it decomposing is making it difficult for corpse dogs to find bodies of people who have died unattended of the panflu or from collateral causes. That fact alone has shocked a lot of people who were thinking that the pandemic would be short-lived. Another nasty shock for people is that their finances are deteriorating at an alarming speed.

Most people in Tampa are still getting by, but barely. The Chapmans are very lucky to have had the foresight to make financial plans based on a possible catastrophic event. They'd be totally sunk if they had not.

In part, because of the rising fuel costs and the escalating food costs, many of their tenants have been unable to pay their rent in full. Most continue to try but it is in dribs and drabs. So far entitlement checks, such as for housing assistance, are still being issued. The problem is that if tenants are paying weekly rather than monthly, Scott has to go out to the properties more often to directly collect the rent. Which means more opportunities for infection and higher fuel consumption. Those tenants that refuse point blank to even try to work with them have received their legal notices and the paperwork is taken to the court building downtown. At this time it is unclear whether the courts will act in their normal capacity and evict people for unpaid rent or not. The verdict is still out. Even if an eviction is processed, evictions are low priorities for law enforcement and no officers are available to serve the final notice and to formally escort the tenants off the property per state law.

The banks are also start to limit transaction amounts and hold checks longer to make sure they clear before making funds available. This is a result of having trouble maintaining cash levels required by the Federal government. They are also seeing a lot of NSF checks come through. There hasn't been too much panic in the banks yet because strict controls were put into effect early on, but people are quickly using up their savings or running up their equity lines. If they have any equity that is. The recent fall in housing prices took away a lot of people's main source of liquidity. The worst is that some of these people doing this have no way to replace those funds. Many of them are either out of work or retirees living on fixed incomes. And the credit card companies and mortgage companies haven't just gone on holiday. So far, there is no word from the government on a moratorium on payments.

One of the primary reasons for the cash problem is that a lot of places that remain open are no longer taking checks or credit cards. Some still accept debit cards, but very few.

It's a shock for people who were used to extending their ability to pay with credit to suddenly discover they are living in a cash-only world. Even those individuals who used to be able to write a check that wouldn't reach their bank for a couple of days are having to change their ways. No one is willing to hold a tab anymore; not even a tab backed by a check or credit card that promises payment.

* * *

"Scott honey what's wrong? You've got the scary-guy look on your face."

"I'm done. I am freaking done! Those jackasses down at the courthouse! I am tired of the stalling. They expect me to follow every one of their laws and procedures to the letter but they are refusing to follow through on their end."

"What on Earth?! Um, I assume you are talking about that eviction over on 13th."

"What else would I have gone down to the courthouse for? It's a quarter tank of gas to get there and back." Scott snarls.

Sissy comes real close to snarling right back at him but she catches herself just in time.

"Scott, its obvious things didn't go well today. But please don't treat me like I'm the enemy. It's not helpful to either one of us."

"You just don't understand. You get to stay home all day and …"

"Whoa. Stop right there. I don't _get_ to stay home. I have absolutely _no choice_ about staying home as you well know. I haven't left this house in _weeks_ AND I've been trying to keep things going and as normal as possible so that you and the kids can have it as easy as possible. And I've been doing a dang good job of it."

"Fine, you do a great job here at the house, but it's my responsibility to make sure we've still got a house to live in. I'm the one that has to bring in the money so we can pay the bills."

"And I'm doing everything in my power to make sure we don't spend any more of that money than we have to. If you want to pop off about the knuckleheads down at County be my guest. I'm not terribly fond of their never ending policies, protocols, and red tape myself. But don't pop off at me. I repeat, I am not the enemy here." Sissy spits right back barely hanging on to her own temper.

Scott and Sissy stand toe-to-toe ready, willing, and able to keep at each other when they both notice the kids looking at them like they've never seen them before.

They look at each other and back off and take a few deep breaths.

Scott says, "They're refusing to serve the eviction papers because they say they haven't got any officers available to serve the papers. Not only that, a lot of the judges are refusing to sign eviction orders citing hardship issues."

"What are they expecting landlords to do? Let tenants stay for free?!"

"Well of course. Don't you understand? We are the bad guys here for expecting those poor souls to actually pay the rent they are legally obligated to pay. Oh, and did I mention? We have to keep their utilities on as well or they are gonna fine us for being great big meanies." Scott says in a voice dripping with heavy sarcasm.

"No way. Absolutely no way! What are we supposed to pay those utility bills with? Our looks!?"

"Do you really think they care? There was practically a mob of landlords and property managers down there. You know, it was awful strange that they had enough law enforcement manpower to escort a few dozen property owners out of the courthouse, but not a single one to serve eviction papers. The judges and the County Commissioners had their county paid body guards for protection, but they still can't be bothered to do their job and respond to the people that put them in office."

"What can we do?!"

"Everyone one of us that got thrown out of the courthouse went over to Franklin Street and talked. We all agreed we were just going to have to do what we have to do. Chuck and Randolph were there too," Scott said referring to two other landlords that had properties in the same areas of town as Scott and Sissy. "First we are going to turn off the water and bolt it off at the building and the street. And if the tenant has their power turned off for non-payment by the city, we are going to have TECO come out and remove their meters and maybe even pull the main breakers. If TECO can't or won't, Chuck said he'd show me how to do it safely and leave it so that it cannot be jury rigged to steal power."

"What's that going to serve? What if they still won't leave?"

"Let 'em stay at that point. I can't force 'em to leave without the court's help. But damned if they are going to just live there in comfort draining all our resources. And no way will I be making repair calls there either. Being unable to pay but still being civil and trying to work out a solution is one thing. Being unwilling to pay and acting like a jerk on top of it is another."

"What if this is only the first trouble we have like this? What if other units go this way?"

"Oh I expect them to. No doubt in my mind. The courts just set a really bad precedent that we are going to have to deal with. We are gonna hurt financially. I didn't expect anything less. But, I am not going down without a fight."

"How many units is this happening in?"

Scott and Sissy spend the next couple of days running numbers, seeing at what point they'd have to break into their savings to keep things going. They weren't that far from that point now. But they were off setting that here and there by not paying utility bills and with the rent that was stilling coming in.

Their goal is to break even each month if possible. They figure if things get too bad, the government will call a moratorium of some type. Or that is their hope. All they have to do is keep their heads above water until they can figure out what to do next.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Revisiting the issues of municipal utilities, Scott and Sissy have had their own share of scares. The family's main water supply is by a residential well. During the planning and prepping phase they became very concerned about having a secure water supply. There was no way for them to store 12 months of drinking and cooking water for their family of 7; that would have been a bare minimum of 2500 gallons. They looked at securing their well, but for many different reasons in their situation that wasn't feasible - too deep a well for a well bucket, too vulnerable to e. coli for a hand pump, to expensive for a big enough generator that required a constant supply of fuel to run.

They settled on stocking as much water and other drinkables as they could and creating a water catchment system. This catchment system uses food grade barrels and buckets and takes advantage of their existing gutter system and steep-pitched roof and valleys.

About three and a half weeks into the pandemic the power went out with no warning. As Scott and Sissy scrambled to see what was wrong they found that the entire neighborhood was without power, even radio stations with transmitters in other areas of the county were off the air. Scott and Sissy scrambled to put their water catchment system in place, all the while lamenting that they hadn't filled all the empty containers that they had been saving for just this eventuality. What had they been thinking? If they had filled the containers right away, and kept them re-filled as they were emptied, there would have been much less need for panic now.

When the power went out, they had yet to re-try their deep cell solar energy system. Last time they had tried to test the system they were able to power their battery charger, lamps, and a couple of the smaller appliances, but they couldn't run the well motor. Scott decided that he would tinker with it more, but now was not the time.

They counted and re-counted all of the drinkables that they still had and calculated how long their supply would last. Sissy shed some tears where the kids couldn't see or hear her, then got out the solar-powered and hand-cranked lanterns and radios and set up the solar battery re-charger. They hadn't yet figured out how Rose was going to continue her college courses when the laptop batteries ran out if their solar recharging system didn't work, but by this time the whole family was exhausted and they made an early night of it.

The next morning Sissy was jerked from sleep by the alarm clock going off. Then she realized she heard the TV that they failed to switch off the day before. She quickly woke Scott and listened to the morning new reports to discover that the power had been restored by the Herculean efforts of the local electric supplier and community volunteers some time while they slept. This time the kids did see Sissy cry, but it was tears of relief.

James later told his dad, as they worked outside, that seeing his mom cry told him how bad things really were more than any TV or radio show could.

Local news outlets reported the story of several main pieces of equipment giving out at the same time causing a cascade effect that resulted in a multi-county black out. There were areas where the power still had not been restored because wires and breakers had been fried. Work teams were being dispatched as quickly as possible on a priority basis, but it would be several days before all repairs were completed.

Scott and Sissy decided then and there never to be caught out again. Everyone began filling every empty container in the house that they could find. They filled up two of their black barrels, all of the empty two-liter bottles, and all of the collapsible containers. They only filled up one of the water bobs in the tub so that they would still have one tub for indoor bathing. The other three they set up in very large storage bins, the kind large artificial Christmas trees are stored in. It gave them over a month's worth of drinking and cooking water should the power go out again. They figured they would rotate the water out of the containers as needed.

While they were busy doing this, they listened to a spokesperson from the utility company explain that it was likely, to maintain some service, that rolling black outs would occur. Households were encouraged to immediately begin planning ahead for this likelihood and to begin conserving energy where possible. The spokesperson continued on by saying that as soon as arrangements and schedules were finalized, everyone would be notified.

In the end there was no official notification. Rolling black outs begin happening without a set schedule. The black outs were determined by maintenance issues and absenteeism and not by an approved plan from the boardroom. The rolling black outs become part of the Chapman's new normal. When the power is on they fill water containers, charge batteries, and keep up to date with family and friends via the Internet.

When the power is off they make use of their stored water, the water catchment system, lanterns, a Coleman stove and gas grill, and water from their pool for the toilets. Their laptops allow them to access the Internet, but local routing stations aren't always up and running. When the power is on they bathe regularly and keep up with laundry. When the power is off, they wash as best they can ... body and clothes ... and use a clothesline to air out bedding and dry wet garments.

Lucky for our family the power in Tampa is on more often than it is off. That can't be said in some cities and states that haven't planned as well. Cities suffering from civil unrest, cities suffering from unmitigated attack rates and CFRs, are also suffering from exaggerated utility interruptions. If those places weren't bad before, they are now on their way to horrific trials.

Even with the power off, our family still has some luxuries that their neighbors do not. The biggest one is the ability to get the news on their solar powered radio. Even when the days are cloudy they can still charge it because it also has a crank feature. Their understanding of the overall picture of the pandemic is less impaired by rumor, though they do have to weed through the hearsay and innuendo.

Tonight's radio broadcast isn't the usual fare of public service announcements followed by community mitigation rules and a running commentary on the shocking fatality counts. Tonight a reporter named Devon McLoud is introduced and Scott has a feeling they will be hearing more from this guy as long as he doesn't get himself killed. His angle is good, but not necessarily unusual. It is more his voice and way of sharing his journey that really catches the listener's attention. McLoud seems to have charisma by the bucketful, but doesn't abuse it, which is unique in most media outlets.

McLoud opens his piece by explaining he was between assignments at the beginning of the pandemic. As air travel ground to a halt, he had little choice but to make his own way back to his home base using whatever means possible. Along the way he decided to interview people for a "man on the street" perspective of the pandemic.

Not too many people were feeling disposed to speak honestly to the media. Some because they were still in shock, some because their anger overcame their ability to communicate rationally. Some were suspicious and some blamed the mainstream media for not giving the public more information about a potential pandemic, and of only being concerned with their ratings and advertising dollars generated by reporting on the foibles and breakdowns of celebrities and other public personalities.

* * *

 _It seemed like nobody wanted to talk to reporters about the terrible thing that was affecting us all. People seemed more comfortable forgetting what they'd seen, or maybe even what they'd done. I'd come across some who wondered if the world was coming to an end, or if perhaps God was punishing us for something we did or didn't do. And for many, I guess the world was ending, at least as they knew it to be after watching several family members die before their eyes in a most grisly way.  
_  
 _One of the most tragic things that I heard tell of or saw myself, was the number of folks who'd taken their own lives or that of a loved one for fear of dying in such a way. And then there were those who had to face it all alone. No one to care for them, or even to grieve when they passed on to the next world.  
_  
 _I ran into a couple of men two days ago about sixty miles South of Fairbridge that were blocking the roadway because they had a busted wheel. They needed help changing it, and since I couldn't pass by them any other way, I put on my mask and stopped to help. We talked for a while afterwards once they learned I was a news reporter.  
_  
 _"Mary Joe didn't have any kin folks that we know of," one of the men told me.  
_  
 _"We took an buried her out in back a the barn by the big oak tree, jest like she said she wanted in her note."  
_  
 _When I asked about the note he reached into his pocket and pulled out a wrinkled piece of old cloth with writing on it and handed it to me.  
_  
 _"Is it okay to touch that thing?" I asked before taking it.  
_  
 _"Well sir, me an Carl been holdin' on to it a lot an we ain't got sick yet."  
_  
 _Carl nodded in agreement as I cautiously took it from his hand and unfolded it to read what Mary Joe had written._

 _"To whom it might concern. My name is Mary Joe Tanner and I is dyin from this dam flu what's been goin round. I've tried to liv by the good book, but it wasunt allways easy after my sweet Moses past on bout a yar a go. Theys nobody hear but me an my mule Pusser what I set free a bout three days ago. My house an all my world paseshuns I wants to go to the cherch down on First stret. If anyone is so enclined I'd preshate it if I could be bury't out back under my favrite oak tree. Thar's ten dollars on the kitchun table fer yer troubels an I thank ya kindly fer em. In Gods hands, Mary Joe Tanner."_

 _It was a difficult read. Nobody should be alone on their way out of this world. I stood there quietly staring at the cloth after reading it, trying hard to maintain a strong face in front of the strangers while fighting to keep the moisture in my eyes from streaming out.  
_  
 _"We buried her out back just like she asked and then sent word to the Parsonage on First Street about the house an property," Carl told me.  
_  
 _I offered to return the old woman's note, but they told me to keep it for my story, which I did. I still have it and every now and again l retrieve it from my back pack and read it. Perhaps it's my way of keeping the old woman from being alone, or maybe it's to remind myself that I don't want to be in such a state when my own time comes due.  
_  
 _"And so ends the first installment from investigative reporter Devon McLoud. We at the station wish him luck and safe travels. A program announcement will be made when we receive his next report. A transcript of this story is available at the NPR website."_


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

One of the most difficult issues facing Scott and Sissy, besides their business concerns, is security; both for their home and for Scott when he is out working. Living in the suburbs of a large and sprawling urban center as well as in proximity to a large university area interspersed with a VA hospital, a public hospital, and urban crime areas, Scott and Sissy are not fools. Their lives have always revolved around the application of common sense rules. Doors are locked at all times (house and car). Windows are always secured. Home and autos have security systems. There are places that you avoid, especially at night when the human predators are out. You don't talk to strangers except in controlled circumstances. Etc.

But, people who have not prepped or who feel they have nothing to gain by following the rules of a polite society are becoming increasingly desperate. There are also those that have escaped bad times in one town only to find themselves in worse circumstances in the place they flee to. Small towns around the country have been inundated with "flugees" (flu refugees) and don't have the services to deal with them. Even larger cities have their own flugee problems to deal with. The international airport near where the Chapmans live is being used as a central housing facility for tourists and business people trapped with no way to get home. Trying to get food and health care for such places and people strains the system to the max. Tempers are short and fear is running high. Despondency also runs high, and there is at least one suicide per week in these temporary housing areas.

Sissy and the kids particularly hate it when Scott leaves the house to deal with a property management emergency or to pick up rents. Especially to pick up rents because they worry about him being car-jacked or robbed. Even with the recent bumps in their relationship caused by all of the stress, they still have a good marriage. The thought of anything happening to Scott is one of Sissy's worst nightmares; on so many different levels. Sissy and the kids wait at home with baited breath until Scott returns each time. They only breathe easy again once he has gone through his decontamination routine and comes inside. Everyone sticks close to him and touches him to reassure themselves that he made it home once again. This is especially hard on the younger three children who associate their overall security with their dad's presence. When he is away, they act out and often start crying over the smallest thing. James winds up trying to be the man of the house when his dad is away and the other kids don't always appreciate it. Rose steps in to try and play peacemaker, which makes James feel like no one is listening to him. The younger kids use the resulting ruckus as another excuse for acting up. Sissy is often exhausted when Scott comes home from trying to deal with the three ring circus while attending to all of her own chores that must be done.

As the pandemic has progressed, Scott's outings have become fewer, but they still must occur. It's trying for Scott as well. He feels his responsibility to his family, but he also feels his responsibilities to those who are under his care in other ways. There are still bills to pay. The things that he has seen also stress Scott. Sissy knows about some of it, but he hasn't told her everything; doing so would only worry her more. He stopped going to several of the units when he found out the occupants in them were sick. He notified the authorities but does not really know how much anyone has been able to do. He stopped going figuring he wouldn't collect any rent from those locations anyway and hasn't received any calls from them on maintenance issues either. Scott knows that he will eventually need to find out the status of those units, but he is holding off for now.

A couple of their rental units are vacant because they were abandoned. If the unit is one side of a duplex, Scott allows the family on the other side to "spread out" so that they can keep any children in one unit, while the other one is used by adults who have to come and go. He knows some people are taking advantage of his generosity but there are few legal remedies, for the moment anyway. The courts are still not responding to pleas from landlords for help. And a vacant unit is also more vulnerable to vandalism. Its one of the reasons that he rarely does more than turn off the water when tenants don't pay their rent. They may not make anything on the unit, but they aren't losing much either unless you count mortgage and insurance, which they would have to pay one way or the other.

Some tenants beg Scott to help them get their electric turned back on. The local power companies can be brutal to people who don't pay and thus far the government hasn't stepped in with any kind of remedy. There is nothing they can do really, and Scott knows that some have begun stealing electric and water from other units and even directly from the utility poles. There's been a few deaths reported in the news where people were electrocuted trying to "hot wire" their homes. There have been a few fires attributed to that as well, but thankfully not at their properties. Scott reports illegal hook-ups for this reason, even at the risk of losing more tenants. The last thing he wants to deal with at a time like this is a building fire.

In addition to the common sense dangers of living near a large urban area, sporadic civil unrest adds to their concerns. Scott has witnessed some brutality by human predator types that are roaming virtually unchecked, but thankfully not in areas that he has to frequent often.

Mitigation does not mean that your community will go unscathed during a pandemic. It only means that there are ways to lower the magnitude of some of the pandemic issues. Mitigation will not stop illnesses from continuing to happen, only keep them from getting out of control. Mitigation will never empty the hospitals, only keep the hospitals from collapsing. So absenteeism and illness are still problems even in the communities with the best mitigation compliance ratios.

In Tampa, police were stretched even at the best of pre-pandemic times. Now, hit with a 20 to 40% absenteeism rate at any given time ... because of illness, attrition, or job abandonment ... they simply do not have the trained man power to address every crime that is called in. They are prioritizing as best they can; you could call it legal triage. The National Guard troops help, but they too are dealing with personnel and equipment issues.

The family's business has already sustained some financial losses because people cannot or will not pay their rent. They have also sustained some losses due to theft and vandalism. People are ripping down gutters and metal flashing to create rain catchment systems. Exterior central ac units are being stolen or vandalized for spare parts or gutted for the copper tubing they contain. At this time there is no way of replacing these items so tenants have to suffer or move. Most can't move because they have no money. They are angry and often take it out on the property thinking it is a way to get back at the landlord ... and the vicious cycle continues as the damage mounts. Social services that many people living in lower income housing counted on has closed its doors. Social workers aren't returning phone calls. Most neighborhood and community centers have closed their doors. Food donation locations are empty.

Not surprisingly, Scott and Sissy also suffer losses at home. During the night on at least two occasions, people have tried to break into their shed and their house. A loud, battery-operated security siren chases off most of the would-be thieves but when the batteries run out, the siren won't work. The family is taking the drastic action of bringing into the house most everything that can be considered of any value. This is causing a lot of cramping; all of the business tools, all of the family bikes, all yard stuff in general is moved inside. Everything that had been stored in the shed has to be brought in. The family vehicles have been moved into the back yard where they are only marginally more secure. Scott has placed a large, camouflage tarp over Sissy's van as she won't be driving it anytime soon anyway. He has also done what needs to be done to mothball the engine and other systems in case it is a long time before the car is started up and driven again.

One of the worst losses they suffer is the theft of one of their rain barrels. They suspect someone in the neighborhood, but how would they prove it? It was just a non-descript black plastic barrel that used to hold Greek peppers. It only cost $15 dollars when they bought it ... but it is the idea that someone they know, someone they probably helped, stole from them. So the water catchment system had to be further secured ... which is no easy task considering they have to do it makeshift with what they have around the house.

They are also taking additional precautions within the house proper. Their house is already fairly well secured. It had to be before they got their home security system two years ago; but they've added a few touches here and there. The utility room door and side doors are now reinforced with extra deadbolts and security bars. The windows have extra hexlocks installed and the kids practiced with them until they could open them with ease in case of fire. A wooden frame with a metal mat of woven wire attached to it is fitted into each windowsill just in case someone breaks a window trying to get in. The toddler has returned to sleeping in the parents' bedroom since he wouldn't be able to open his window in case of an emergency or shout out a warning if someone tried to enter the house via his room. They use his room for extra storage space. At night they use black out curtains so no one can see their lantern light and get envious.

Fortuitously, prior to the pandemic the most vulnerable doors on the house had a roll-down system installed on them ... they are French doors leading to the lanai. Four other vulnerable windows are also covered with accordion storm panels that can only be opened from the inside. This was originally done to bring down the cost of home insurance and as a high-wind mitigator, but they are a welcome resource in this pandemic situation.

While there are some security risks that have grown due to the pandemic and the resulting infrastructure shakiness, Tampa in general, and the family's neighborhood in particular, continues to do fairly well all things considered. Scott and Sissy and their family continue to do better than average because they still have plenty of food and other supplies. But Sissy and Scott both know that could change quickly so they strive to never let their guard down.

In areas of the country where the mitigation strategies weren't complied with and infrastructure collapse has happened or is imminent, security issues are especially concerning. Some law enforcement departments have given up and areas are razed to the ground by the fury of the predators that control them. Tampa isn't always peaceful, but at least it is far from being hell on Earth for most of its citizens.

"All locked up for the night?" Sissy asks.

"Yeah. Come here."

"What?"

"Look, just come here OK?"

As Sissy approaches, Scott reaches out and pulls her into his arms.

"I'm sorry things have been so bad around here for the last couple of weeks."

Sissy sighs and says, "Not bad; rough. Bad is what we see on TV or hear on the radio."

"Ok, but you know what I mean. I don't want us to keep snapping at each other. It sucks. I'm stressed out when I have to go out 'cause I never know what I'm going to have to face. I'm stressed out when I have to come home for the same reason. Its like no place is safe any more."

Sissy has to fight the temptation to play the I-told-you-so card.

"No, its not good. It doesn't make it any easier on me either and its bad for the kids. I know we both have real strong personalities but we've just gotta do this differently. I can't keep it up, but I can't seem to stop it either."

"I miss our date nights when we could just get away from every thing and everyone." Scott reminisces.

"I don't think we could pull that off right now. There isn't a corner in this house with that kind of privacy. Not to mention every one of those corners are already crammed full with the stuff we had to bring in from outside."

"I know. I know. Look you know I don't do the roses and candy bit, but I'm still sorry for my part. Things are just really, really hard. Things feel out of my control and I can't stand that."

"I'm sorry too. I know property management stuff can drive you nuts on the best of days. Having to deal with this stuff under these circumstances only makes it worse. But I'll be honest, I can't stand being attacked for thing that are out of my control. I'm on your side. I don't like it when you lump me with the bad guys."

"I'll try to be better. I can't promise any more than that. I'll try."

"Fine. For my part I'll try and use my mouth to bite the bullet rather than a place to park my foot. As bad as things are, we don't need to make them harder on ourselves."

"You got it keed. You want I should go rough up these bad guys you talkin' about?"

"Oh my word," Sissy laughs. "That's the worst Pancho Villa I've ever heard."

"It wasn't supposed to be Pancho Villa. It was supposed to be da god fadda."

"Oh that's even worse! No more! No more!"

And Scott chases Sissy into their bedroom for a down and dirty pillow fight. It provides more laughs than they've had in quite a while. They both agree, right before fall asleep, that now that they have made up, they wouldn't risk their relationship as badly in the future. They needed each other as much, if not more than, they ever have.


	10. Chapter 9

_**Chapter 9**_

Six weeks turns into two months and as the pandemic continues to rage, the realities of SIP life sets in for Scott, Sissy and the kids. No one ever said that SIP would be easy; just that it was the best alternative for families with children.

Attack rates and CFRs remain steady in and around Tampa, mostly as a direct result of successful mitigation strategy compliance. By contrast, areas that did not implement mitigation strategies or had low compliance rates are seeing spikes in infections and increased mortality both because of the pandemic flu strain and because of infrastructure failures and violence.

Even knowing how important it is, the kids are at the end of their patience with staying home. Having just made up themselves, Scott and Sissy know how important it is to try and maintain good relations in the house. They encourage their children to get outside in the backyard several times each day. The family plays together and does their chores together. They work on lots of home projects to stay busy. Of course the kids also have their schoolwork to keep up with and they participate in chat groups on the Internet when possible. Scott and Sissy also try and ensure everyone gets at least an hour of privacy every day. But, the kids still feel hemmed in and are beginning to ask in louder and more strident tones "when will things get back to normal?!" They want to know what has happened to their friends that they've lost contact with. They want go some place other than their backyard.

It used to be all Scott and Sissy had to do is make them listen to the news, but lately the kids say, "but that isn't around here. All of that really bad stuff is happening in other places." How do you impress on children that it isn't happening here because all of the kids stay home and are not congregating in groups? Sissy doesn't mind when the kids are asking questions and showing their frustrations. That's natural. Even some surliness is to be expected. What bothers her is when the kids get silent and uncommunicative, both potentially indicative of other problems like depression.

Sissy has her off days and struggles too. She is the designated adult to stay SIP with the kids. She misses being able to hop in the car and go to the grocery, to the bank, to the library, to the park. She even misses cleaning apartments for their business. But she is also aware of the necessity of what they are doing and how important it is for the safety of their children. She is sure Scott hasn't told her everything he has seen. There have been a few times when he has returned home that his eyes held a particularly haunted look. She realizes that he is trying to protect her, but she wonders at what cost to himself. Part of her wishes that she and Scott could act out and blow off some steam, but they have to be the adults; although they might not have the energy to pitch a fit. All of their time and energy – both physical and mental – is taken up with putting their longer-term strategies in place as well as security issues. And now that they've put the nasty bickering behind them, they are both very careful to avoid anything that might start it back up.

One of the scariest situations they've had to deal with to date was when one of the guys that they used to hire for casual day labor showed up on their doorstep. It was late at night during one of the first blackout cycles. Worse, the guy was stoned or drunk … and obviously sick.

It was in the dead of one of the dark, dark nights, when the power first went off. A pounding on their door ripped Scott and Sissy from an uneasy sleep. Even during prepandemic times being woken in the middle of the night in that manner would have been startling, but in these uncertain times it causes more than a moment of shock and panic. It doesn't help that they have to navigate through all the mess in the house in the pitch black dark to get to the front door.

They hear a vaguely familiar voice calling Scott's name. Scott calls back, "Who is it?" The voice says, "Its me man, I need to talk to you." Then Scott and Sissy recognize the voice ... and the behavior ... of the person on the other side of the their door. It was Perry. They had been dreading the possibility of this happening – someone showing up at the home unannounced – and only had a vague idea of exactly how they were going to handle it. Now that the time had arrived, they wished they had planned things out better.

When they first started working with Perry, he had troubles but he was more reliable than not. He had a lot of skills that were useful such as carpentry and roofing, he just had a lousy upbringing and some tough breaks in life. But over time he went from having troubles to being troubled. He went from being troubled to being part of the problem. He went from being part of the problem to actually being the problem. At the beginning they had absolutely no qualms about Perry knowing where they lived and doing odd projects with Scott around the house; hanging fence, leveling a shed that was settling on one end, replacing drywall after a plumbing problem. Eventually however, they stopped having him over to the house. Perry's behavior and language became unpredictable. With kids around, you avoid those kinds of situations. Now, to say they were sorry he knew where they lived would be an understatement.

The problem was that both Scott and Sissy knew that "I need to talk to you" was a euphemism for "I need money." Scott said, "Are you crazy?! It is the middle of the night man. Come back when its light." But Perry wouldn't be put off. He said, "man let me in, I need to talk to you." Scott responded, "No, it's the middle of the night. You are not coming in. You know we've got kids. What's wrong with you? You've heard the news they're blaring all over about keeping away from kids. I even talked to you about it. I repeat, you are not coming in this house."

Perry just was not going to let it go. "Man, I need money for groceries. I need to go to the grocery store. I need to get some food."

Hearing that, Sissy started to get one of the care packages of rice and beans she had made up for friends and family who were in need, but Scott stopped her with a grim look and shake of his head. Scott repeated, "Perry, be reasonable. It is the middle of the night. The stores aren't open. It's not safe to have money out at this time of night. I'll come by your place in the morning and you can work a couple of hours with me and I'll drop you off at the store with your pay."

"No man! I need it now!" Sissy finally picked up on what Scott had suspected all along. Perry wasn't hungry, he was "thirsty" and needed a fix. His addictions had a hold of him and he was just trying to get by on pity. And then he started coughing. After he caught his breath, Perry started cursing and pitching a fit. He started kicking the door and looking for something to throw. One bit of work that Scott and James had done started paying off right there. They had moved the vehicles to the backyard and brought in everything that wasn't nailed down from the front. There were simply no loose objects for Perry to throw.

They were fortunate that Perry hadn't thought to try and kick the windows in or put his fist through them. Scott hadn't gotten around to securing the front windows yet. Perry stopped to have another coughing fit and then he started crying and saying no one loved him or understood him. That Scott just didn't understand and that he was sure that he was owed some money. He threatened to call the cops to get what he believed was his. He was in the terrible throws of withdrawal and would probably become incapacitated by DT's shortly. Scott repeated his offer to come by in the morning but Perry screamed, "# $% YOU!" in a roar and stumbled off coughing and cursing, heading who knows where to try who knows what.

Afterwards, under the circumstances, Scott and Sissy didn't know whether they could have handled it any better, but they weren't sure they could have handled it much worse either. And it may have been overkill, but Scott insisted on spraying the front door area with bleach to disinfect it. "Better safe than sorry," he muttered as he worked.

Scott decided to remain close to home for a few more days to make sure Perry didn't come back. While he is home he secures the remaining windows and cuts back foliage that people could use to hide in. Better late than never, but it is still a lesson learned.

After Scott came back from the first run after the "night of the scary guy" as the kids had started calling it Sissy asks him, "Did you see Perry?"

"Nope. I drove by his house but his front windows were all busted and it looks like there was a fire in the upstairs apartment. I didn't stop. It had a bad feel to it."

"Oh no. You don't think … "

"I have no idea. I tried to call his neighbor Jay but no one answered. I called the authorities to report everything and they said they'd check it out, but who knows when. I'm not going back there unless I have company; maybe not even then. As far as I can remember, he doesn't have any of my tools or equipment. And after that stunt he pulled the other night I just don't trust him. For all I know he isn't even alive any more. I couldn't tell if that was his allergies acting up or whether he was getting sick."

"No way do I want you working with him anymore. I think he's dangerous, even if he doesn't turn out to be infected. He's really addicted this time and without time in rehab I don't think he is going to kick it. He'll either be deranged or dead in short order."

"Yeah. I know you're right. But even as bad as he had gotten he still had some good carpentry skills. I just couldn't get him to stop drinking on the job, and then I caught him doing that other crap and that was the final straw."

"Have you found anyone to replace him?"

"Almost don't need to. I've had to cut back on most repairs 'cause I can't get all the materials. Section 8 called a halt to all of their inspections. Code Enforcement is battling their own staffing problems. And I sure ain't turning units. Carl helps me when I do need it. I'm beginning to think I may need someone to ride shotgun though."

"Why?"

"Oh, no reason. I'm just saying."

"Don't give me that I'm just saying stuff. You said ride shotgun and that's exactly what you meant isn't it? Now I want to know why. Has something happened?"

"Look, don't wig out on me. I was talking to Chuck and he said Randolph was shot day before yesterday."

"Is he OK?!"

"No. Apparently he hadn't been taking his blood pressure medication. The shot was only a flesh wound but, well, he had a fatal heart attack. Chuck said his ex-wife has already moved into his house and her kids and they've boarded up the windows and put a big padlock on the driveway gate."

"Crap! When were you going to tell me this?!"

"Just calm down. I just found out this afternoon. You know Randolph could be a real jackass. He didn't have a good relationship with any of his tenants."

"How do we know it was a tenant? He could have been … "

"It WAS one of his tenants. Randolph supposedly made one of his trademark off-color comments about the guy's girlfriend when they didn't have the rent. The guy is saying he didn't even mean to shoot Randolph but that Randolph made some kind of move towards the guy's girlfriend and when he went to help her the gun went off accidentally."

"Do you believe that?"

"Who knows? The guy was right on top of him, it would have been dang hard to miss at that range if he had really meant to shoot him. Randolph did have a history of inappropriate behavior and he could be damn stupid."

"Still … "

"No still. I've got a much better rapport with most of our tenants. I'm careful. And the few places I'm having problems I don't go by myself. I'm home well before dusk. But I am thinking about getting someone to ride shotgun in case things get worse. I just don't know who it could be."

"You'd tell me right? You'd tell me if things get that bad? Right?"

"Yeah, let's just not talk about it anymore tonight. OK? I'm all done in. I gotta let things go for awhile."

"Sure hon. Just remember, you're worth more to us than any amount of rent. You want me to fix you a toddy?"

"Yeah. Wait, no. Is there any hot cocoa?"

"Not cocoa, but I can make you some warm spiced milk."

"Fine. Anything that'll help me unwind and get some sleep without leaving me hung over."

It wasn't long before Scott had crashed and burned for the night. Sissy on the other hand was still wound tight. She knew she needed to get to bed and get some sleep herself. But this on top of battling with the kids over them wanting to go see their friends was a lot for Sissy to deal with.


	11. Chapter 10

One unexpected consequence for Scott and Sissy is that by keeping Rose, James, and the younger kids sequestered in SIP to comply with the mitigation strategies, they've also kept them somewhat insulated from the realities of the pandemic. As time has passed, its gotten easier for the kids to say "its happening to other people and in other places, it isn't happening to us." Their feelings are "since it hasn't happened, it won't happen." This is the same thought process that many adults went through prepandemic that kept them from prepping adequately, if at all.

Our family certainly isn't unique. Other parents are fighting the same battle of wills with their kids. There is a lot of burnout. Everyone just wants things over. They crave normalcy. Too many people have forgotten how to think in realistically long-term ways. They can see the beginning of the story and they can see how they think the story will end; but they've forgotten how to plan for getting from point A to point B. The fact that the pandemic is lasting considerably longer than most people were at first given to understand only adds to this problem.

A stealthy bird's eye view of Tampa would show you that youths are gathering, despite the many public warnings; many without their parents' permission. First they gather in groups of two or three then in larger groups, but never so many that they might get noticed by the authorities. They do it quietly to avoid detection. They sneak out of their homes at night. They quietly leave during the day when their parents are at work and return without ever saying a word about where they've been or who they have been with. Even suspicious parents employ the "don't ask, don't tell" method of parenting to avoid any more arguments.

Most of the groups are made up of kids who live in the same general area because otherwise they would be noticed driving, even if they could swing the cash necessary to buy the fuel for any vehicle. And with the night curfew for everyone being vigorously enforced, well, they view it as much safer to travel under the radar of the authorities. A common justification for this sneakiness is "Why raise a ruckus that the adults will use just to make our life harder and more unfair?" This type of behavior may have been going on all along without any noticeable consequences. But like they say, it only takes once.

A group of kids who met online figured out that they lived within a mile or two of one another. They finally said, "This is totally bogus. If we are careful, nothing is going to happen. Anybody who can get out, let's meet up two nights from now in that stand of trees over by the lake. Keep it quiet. We don't need the cops or somebody's parent spoiling things." And that's what happened. About a dozen kids in a two-mile radius took the chance to get together and "have a little fun."

What the kids didn't know is that one of their twelve friends had an older brother that had been meeting his girlfriend after work for a little socializing of his own. This girlfriend had relatives from another part of the country suddenly show up on her family's doorstep a few days before the party. The girlfriend was complaining about how she was now having to share her bedroom with three other female cousins and how their stuff is all over her stuff and how to make it worse, "One of them has this really gross allergy thing going on. All she does is sneeze all day and wheeze all night and they have to give her breathing treatments." The boyfriend, focused on what he wants, pays little attention to what she is saying and completely forgets about it later.

What no one realizes is that the girl may have originally started out with airborne allergies but somewhere along the way she picked up the airborne pandemic flu. The breathing treatments are only masking the earliest stages of her symptoms. She has already given it to the girls she is sharing a room with. In turn, the girlfriend has given it to her boyfriend that has taken it home as a treat for his own family. Wrestling with his younger brother, in an attempt to keep his spirits up, brings him in close enough contact that one sneeze was all it took to give the virus to him.

"Oh gross! You are totally gross! Mom, he got sneeze spit all over my face!"

"Look you two. Chill out a little, I've got a headache. I can barely hear myself think. If you insist on wrestling take it outside."

"Yeah mom, OK," both boys respond. The older brother picks the younger one up and gives him a relatively painless body slam before racing through the kitchen and out into the back yard. The younger brother is in hot pursuit and the kitchen door slams as they both fall to the ground like a puddle of puppies.

"Thank God I've got good kids, not like their bum of a father," the mother thinks in the silence following the boys' exit. I don't have to worry about them being disobedient or any other stupid crap my sister's kids are doing.

And now, this "obedient" boy is dancing and cutting up with a bunch of kids he isn't supposed to be around. But, he's a little bummed because his normally very upbeat brother was grumpy and not feeling too hot this morning. His girlfriend hasn't shown up for work in two days and her phone must be out of order because no one is answering. "Geez," he thinks, "I hope I never gets that crazy over a girl."

While at the party to celebrate their "freedom" he manages to give the virus to 4 of the 12 kids there. These kids in turn take the virus home to their parents and siblings. Some of the parents take the virus to work along with their lunch and spread it there.

Within a week, city public health officials notice that there is an alarming rise in flu infections. The hospitals, barely able to keep up with what they already have on their plate, don't need a spike. Now in addition to having patients lined up in hallways, they have to put them in triage tents outside - right when the weather is beginning to turn cool. They do notice that the initial outbreak seems to be centered in a certain area of the city and a quick investigation shows it is probably related to a family who had come to stay with relatives from another part of the country.

By two weeks out, the media has gotten wind of the spike and are reporting that all four of the kids who had been infected at the party are dead along with several of their younger siblings. Other members of their families are critically ill, and so are between 20 and 30 percent of their family members' co-workers who took it home to their families where their children are now dying. And there are not enough hospital beds, anti-virals, and ventilators to help them all.

It isn't just the parents of teenagers that are having problems. Parents of college students are facing the same thing, only their kids are legally adults. How do you convince your children that they aren't invincible?


	12. Chapter 11

_**Chapter 11**_

The news our family hears regarding the drop in compliance and its results for Tampa is a sobering affirmation of all they have been practicing up to this point. It is also a worrying realization that despite their best efforts, they may still be exposed to the pandemic flu because of someone else's choices.

They review all the contacts they've had over the last two or three weeks. Scott's visits to the properties they are responsible for have been more curtailed than usual and he also continues to wear PPE when he is out which adds a layer of protection. None of their units are within the boundaries of the infection spikes. While this a relief, its not exactly an "all clear" sign either. Sissy has had a couple of contacts from within their own neighborhood - one when she was checking on an elderly neighbor that was sitting for what appeared to be an unusually long time on his porch swing, and once at the refuse burning site (located diagonal from the front of their house). And James talked to a neighbor lady over the privacy fence when she called over to see if Scott could help her add some security to her front door.

As far as they can tell, no one was symptomatic that they came in contact with and no one that has since shown any sign of illness. The kids, Rose and James in particular, are very somber after hearing of all the deaths of the youths.

"I guess you want us to say that could have been us."

"Well, yeah. It would be great if you could acknowledge that we haven't been restricting your contacts just to make you miserable."

"We get it. OK? We do get it."

"And I can trust you all - you two especially - not to sneak out and upset your mother any more than you already have with the attitude problems around here?"

"No dad, you know we wouldn't do that," Rose replies. "Its just I'm nearly an adult and I get tired of feeling like I'm being treated like I'm Johnnie's age."

"I don't like feeling like I have to treat you like you're Johnnie's age. You and James are both old enough that you should be able to understand what your mom and I are trying to do. We shouldn't have to deal with the attitudes and the repetitious complaints about how unfair life is. Trust me. We already know. You think this is a great situation for us either? We work ourselves sick trying to make sure you have a roof over your heads and all you all act like is you can't wait to escape it. This isn't just about anyone's comfort. This is about our family's survival. About keeping each one of you alive."

Sissy intervenes, "Scott, I don't think they mean to come off like that; ungrateful or misunderstanding. We are all just under a lot of strain."

"I don't care whether they mean to come off like that or not. If they want to be treated like adults then they need to start acting like it."

"You're right," Rose says.

"Huh?" Scott is surprised into asking.

"You're right. I've been feeling sorry for myself. Its not fair that things are like they are. But it's not your or mom's fault."

"Yeah, what she said." James agrees.

Rose said, "We'll try not to be so negative. Its not like this can last forever. Right? Right?!"

Scott and Sissy can hear in their voices that they are resigned to the situation. But being resigned doesn't mean that they aren't still upset, and the kids certainly are. There is no way to tell them "how long" because no one really knows with absolute certainty.

The Spanish Influenza was at its worst in 1918 and 1919 with three distinct waves, but things were different back then. People didn't travel as much. They weren't as dependent on modern conveniences like electricity or just-in-time delivery of goods and services. There is also some thinking that the things that make the pandemic "better" for parts of the country – the mitigation strategies – may also make it last longer. Everything has been kind of hypothetical up to this point. Now everyone is experiencing a steep learning curve in real time.

In areas of the country that did not implement mitigation procedures or that had low compliance to the mitigation efforts, they continue to see a significant number of cases of influenza. However, in some of those areas it appears that the number of new cases is declining, while in other areas the number of new cases continue to climb. But in either case, it looks like the numbers of death attributable indirectly to the pandemic remain constant – for example from lack of medication availability for chronic illnesses, lack of services for long term care patients, suicide, normally non-life threatening accidents that cannot receive treatment, etc. These casualties are being called collateral deaths.

Even though Tampa experienced a spike in infections, prompt action by local public health officials keep it from becoming a catastrophic break down of everything they had worked for up to that point. It is a close call, and one that the community has, at least for the near future, taken to heart. The area is returning to previous mitigation compliance levels and this slowly allows the health care system to recover enough to empty the triage tents … but as a visual reminder, the tents are not taken down. There is still a higher than previous percentage of absenteeism to contend with, but financial necessity will force many who are absent due to fear to return to work in short order.

And speaking of financial matters, that's one of the big three topics of conversation around the refuse pile in our family's neighborhood. Health, finances, and the weather. Not only our neighborhood, but also everywhere. Same thing people have always talked about, but now it is not just a polite enquiry. Now it is a gleaning to see if you are doing better or worse than your neighbor. To see if your neighbor knows something that you don't. To find out if your neighbor has something that you don't, and if so how did they get it.

* * *

"Well hello there Scott."

"Hello Mrs. Linden. You need some help with that bag of trash?"

"No honey I don't, but thank you. Are you and that nice family of yours doing OK?"

"Yes ma'am, about like everyone else around here."

"Well that's good to hear. No one has seen your children since this whole thing started and hardly anyone has seen Sissy. A lot of people were wondering if something had happened to them or if you had sent them away some place like they did back during the war. But I told them that was nonsense because I hear them over the fence on most days."

"We are keeping the kids away from everyone, quarantined I guess you could say; and Sissy with them just to be on the safe side. Hope the kids aren't making too much noise for you."

"Oh no, don't even think that. I enjoy hearing the kids. I miss my volunteer work at the children's library. That makes sense I suppose, having the kids quarantined. How does Sissy get groceries if she can't go out? Do you pick them up? Aren't the prices outrageous."

"We get by. Nice to see you are OK Mrs. Linden. I need to get back to the house with these ashes."

"OK dear. Don't be a stranger."

Scott quickly crosses the street and enters their property through the side gate. Sissy catches him making a face as he sits the bucket of ash down and starts stripping off his gloves and mask.

"What's with the face? And why'd you bring back those ashes?"

"An excuse."

"Huh?"

"Mrs. Linden was just about to get going good on grilling me. It's the only thing I could think of to get me out of there fast."

"Oh Scott, honestly, she isn't that bad."

Making an even worse face than he had at first he told her, "Oh yes she is. And she's not the worst one, just the most polite."

"She's probably just lonely."

"She's probably just nosey. Just like the rest of them."

"Scott! She's a nice lady."

"Sure she is. I never said she wasn't. That's what makes her dangerous. She's got a gossip chain that'd make the CIA jealous. I let one wrong thing slip out and it'd be all around the neighborhood and halfway across town before the day was over."

"Geez, its not that bad." Sissy says rolling her eyes.

"Yeah it is. Every time I take stuff to the burn barrel its like someone is laying in wait to see if they can pump me for information. Its not so bad when they just ask about the price of gas or whether the power was on at such-and-such an intersection, but when they start getting personal, I start sweating."

Sissy just laughs. "Come on. Lunch is on the table. That should settle your nerves."

"You think it's funny? You try being interrogated by everyone you run into. You'd get paranoid too."

"I know, I'm sorry. But it is kinda funny."

"Yeah, well maybe. But you don't know how much I worry about saying the wrong thing to the wrong person and people figuring out about our preps. They'd be lined up around the next five blocks coming by to 'borrow' something. Or worse, depending on how desperate they are."

"You're right of course. Just the picture of you running from a little blue haired old lady is just bizarre."

And even Scott laughs a little bit when she puts it that way.

* * *

When the pandemic was first recognized and accepted, everyone seemed to be wearing a mask of some type from N95 to homemade. As time went on, people became complaisant and stopped wearing masks - due to lack of availability of fresh ones, inconvenience, they were uncomfortable, etc. Now though, mask visibility on the street is up even higher than at the beginning of the pandemic. Whereas before people would laughingly call masks a fashion statement, now masks are viewed as necessary for stepping into public as clothing. Very few consider them an optional accessory, whether they have been proven to work or not.

Everyone is certainly more wary. People stand much further apart when they converse. Some employers are putting into effect no-contact rules for office settings. This means that everyone remains in their office or cubicle while at work and uses interoffice email, phone, or intercom to communicate with one another; no face-to-face contacts. This is difficult when there is no electricity. Some creative employees develop signals and flags to communicate with one another. What would have felt silly a few months ago is now just part of the daily grind.

Companies that deal with the public open and close their doors for business shockingly fast. Unfortunately this includes offices such as those that deal with social service needs. Clients who had been waiting many weeks to get an appointment with their workers are now told there will be no appointments, no new clients, that all paperwork and requests must be made in writing and that they would process them as time permitted. The social services system should have told their clients "as time and budget permits" because money is tight all over and many social workers have simply refused to show up for work. And everyone is also responsible for cleaning their own work area. Housekeeping was one of the first expenses many companies cut back on. If they didn't cut back intentionally, they are forced to due to lack of cleaning staff or the inability to provide appropriate PPE as mandated through OSHA workplace safety rules.

One of the main problems facing both employees and employers is that fuel continues to rise in cost. Additionally, it is becoming harder to get, even if you can afford it. Even the bio-fuel cars, not that there were that many to begin with, are having a hard time since they primarily ran off of a fuel made with waste vegetable oil from local restaurants. No open restaurants = no waste vegetable oil.

There are no short hops to go here and there and run errands. No Sunday drives just for the heck of it. A lot of people are back to walking or using pedal power to get them where they need to go. Bike theft became such a problem that many people now go to work and padlock their bikes to their workstations rather than leave them in a bike rack. For those people that do have to drive, carpooling is now the norm. All the passengers chip in something to keep the vehicle going. Its not always easy or comfortable, and there is always the worry that you could be sitting next to someone who is infected, but everyone is aware you have to balance your risk.

Another problem is the dusk to dawn curfew to adhere to. In the shortening days of autumn, this means that you have even fewer hours to travel to work and complete all that you need to do before you need to be back home before the sun goes down. Work shifts are shortened, but that also means that paychecks get shortened.

And of course, fuel costs and availability continue to have a detrimental affect on grocery prices. There are several elderly people in the Chapman's neighborhood that simply cannot afford to buy groceries anymore as their fixed income does not cover the inflated prices of what little is available. There are more than a few families that are really starting to hurt and there are a lot of leaner people walking the streets. Losing weight from the extra exercise is one thing. Starving is another.

No one is quite sure who started it, but in our family's neighborhood, as people met up with each other burning refuse a primitive barter system was born. Families with children at home looked for things to keep them distracted. People with no children might need help with a car repair. Someone else might need help with home repair. Thus they begin to trade sweat equity for barter items. The casual barter system that had been born of necessity began to morph into something more defined and regular. People now set up folding tables or blankets near the refuse burning area and put on it items they are willing to trade. While it is in the open air, the people in the neighborhood discourage outsiders – people from other neighborhoods – from participating. It isn't an open market, yard sale, or flea market; but a tool that the neighbors use to get around the high cost of living.

And with cooler weather beginning to set in, they need every advantage they can find. Luckily for some like the Chapmans, this means that cooler weather crops can be planted. In other parts of the country, they have already had their first frosts and will have to make do with whatever they have already put by.

For others, cooler weather only exacerbates the feelings of being trapped. Those trapped within abusive relationships or with young children or children with behavioral issues are having the hardest time. There is no escape.

Reporter Devon McLoud's latest installment was on a woman identified only as "A." She had been confined with two young children for weeks. Her husband was wrestling with his own demons and offered little support and no help. The story chronicled the woman's spiraling decline from a loving and nurturing mother eager to spend all the time she could with her children to a woman worn down and emotionally drained and in danger of harming either her children or herself. She finally reached out to a support hotline that had been set up within her neighborhood.

The story ended with McLoud sharing a list of coping mechanisms for people suffering from stress related to loss of their normal social support outlets:

1) If the stress involves children, enforce some periods of quiet time when everyone can get away from each other. Stagger them so everyone has a safe space they can retreat too when someone is having a melt down, stripping the room to bare walls if necessary.

2) If communications are still operational in your area, schedule regular phone calls from family and friends. This allows you to have a check and balance system so that your perceptions do not become exaggerated.

3) Participate in some form of daylight, outdoor activity every day.

4) Create schedule that lets everyone know what their jobs are and/or when certain activities will occur. For some this may include lesson planning. It isn't so much important what you schedule, but that you are creating some structure that will relieve some of the pressure of constant decision making. Part of your schedule should include time maintaining your home environment and keeping it clutter free. A clutter-free environment helps maintain serenity and leads to greater productivity.

5) If power is on, leave the television off. Save it for treats in the evening. Do not use it as a source for babysitting or for zoning out.

6) Find some creative outlet. This could be gardening, woodwork, handcrafts, painting, writing poetry, etc. But try and do something every day to stimulate your brain and express yourself.

7) Find thirty minutes of quiet time each day to participate in meditative type exercises. This could involve religious activities, reading a self-help book, yoga, or any similar activity. The purpose is to help clear your mind of work and worry.

8) No sitting in the same place for hours on end. The human brain needs constant, healthy stimulation. By moving from activity to activity, and having each activity occur in a separate location, your brain will respond in a healthier and happier way.

9) Laughter and play and physical exertion. Even if you start with only five minutes each day, even if you have to force yourself into this activity at first, the people around you will eventually begin to respond. It eventually becomes self-perpetuating.

10) Help others. One way to deal with anxiety and depression is to focus on others - not just your family. Have the kids create thank you cards to area law enforcement, health care workers, firemen, etc. Help a neighbor get rid of their trash. Participate in a neighborhood clean up project. Plant a garden that can be enjoyed by the community.


	13. Chapter 12

_**Chapter Twelve**_

Another financial disaster facing many people now that it is more or less three months into the pandemic is that many banks have reached the limit of their forbearance policies.

Before the pandemic hit in the US, there was already a great strain on the mortgage side of banking due to high foreclosure rates and onerous government regulations that created additional problems for banking customers. This was in large part a result of several years of historically low interest rates combined with a lot of what is called subprime lending on mortgages in an extremely robust housing and construction market. Mortgages were being issued with financial terms called "arms." The mortgages started with interest rates below the prime rate, but their lending institution could raise the interest rate a certain percentage every given time period. People were beginning to panic at what their monthly mortgage amounts were turning into. Some made the poor choice of trying to use their home equity to pay for any shortfall, but that only sunk them deeper into the hole.

The other part of the problem was that the housing boom, which had lasted for several years, seriously faltered and crashed. Before the crash, market forces had lead to higher prices. Higher home prices - bought and sold - led to higher property values. Higher property values led to higher property taxes being imposed at the local government level. Now add into this the other part of P.I.T.I (principle + interest + taxes + insurance = mortgage payment amount) that the consumer only has a minor control over - insurance costs.

Nationally, the cost of insurance had risen sharply as such events as hurricane recovery, historic level floods from higher than normal rainfall, historic doubts causing areas to be declared disaster areas, etc. as well as preparation for future catastrophes took place within the insurance industry. In states like Florida, prone to weather related disasters, most of the major insurance carriers stopped writing new policies and many cancelled existing policies and pulled out of the state completely. As a consequence of fewer insurance options - supply and demand - prices skyrocketed; increasing 300%+ in some locations ... often on a year over year basis.

People tried to fix their problem mortgages by refinancing into more favorable terms before foreclosure occurred, but even with government programs that option wasn't available to everyone. If you had already damaged your credit score by making late payments, or your overall income had not risen to address the higher payment requirements, you had a hard time qualifying for a refinance of your mortgage loan. Those who couldn't get a refinance eventually defaulted which dumped more homes on the slowing housing market. This began to bring down property values. Many people wound up in upside down mortgages where they owed more to the finance company than the house was worth. This too caused some defaults as people chose to walk away from what they now considered a bad investment. For a decade the housing market faultered. Then the pendulum began to swing; real estate investors were finally buying up properties to rehab them and put them back on the market - not as properties for sale but as rental properties. Unfortunately too many of these investors didn't leave themselves enough cushion and because so many tenants - both residential and commercial - were unable to pay their monthly rent the properties were once again in danger of being foreclosed on.

Now, three months into the pandemic, people who were teetering on the edge of foreclosure had actually fallen in. And many more people were in the hole with them due to lost income directly caused by the pandemic driven economic recession.

There had been noise from the Feds that they were working in closed committees on recommendations to address the imminent collapse of the country's banking system. At some point these recommendations had been put before the OCC (Office of the Comptroller of the Currency). The OCC was the only one that could force the privately held banks to comply as they are the financial regulatory arm of the federal government. One of the OCC's primary responsibilities is to issue rules and regulations governing bank investments, lending, and other practices.

The OCC responded:

*There would be a six-month moratorium on all mortgages and bank-held, collaterally secured loans.

*At the end of the six-month period, the moratorium would either be lifted or re-issued or modified.

*During the moratorium, banks could work with their debtors but any terms that were offered or accepted by any involved party were not legally binding until the OCC officially ended the moratorium - at which time legally signed agreements must be obtained. This would allow both parties to jockey for better terms once the economic realities were evaluated.

*There was no direct financial penalty associated with not paying loan payments during the moratorium; no fee would be imposed for non-payment. However, banks were free to offer better terms and incentives to those who at least paid the interest due on loans during the moratorium.

*Once the moratorium was ended there would be a slow rehabilitation of the banking industry. These details were still being worked out.

As Sissy turns off the radio she asks Scott, "Is this good news for us or not?"

"Maybe good. I'm not sure yet. I'll have to run the numbers."

"You think we should stop making the mortgage payments?"

"To be honest, I don't know. I think we need to at least keep paying the on the principle. I don't want to give the banks any excuse to freeze our assets. I'm more worried about losing access to those funds than I am losing the real estate. How much we pay may depend on how far into the mortgage we are. Interest is all front-loaded on those types of loan. The newer the loan the more interest you pay, the older the more principle. I'm not even sure what kind of deals the mortgage companies are willing to make at this point."

"I noted they didn't mention taxes and insurance payments."

"No they didn't. With property values coming down, property taxes should come down next year, but that won't show up until sometime in January. This year's taxes have already been assessed and the County certainly isn't going to cut us a break on those. I just don't know whether they'll raise the millage rate to compensate for the lowered property values. But if they know what is good for the city, they'll lower the taxes or all hell will break loose once the new assessments get sent out. You heard those protestors on the news. If municipal services are going to be curtailed then taxes better start reflecting that."

Sissy said, "Insurance is what is worrying me. With the way things are, I'm not sure we could ever file a claim and expect to get anything. I couldn't believe it when that rep from Nationwide said they have a legal right to access not only the names, but the confidential info such as the social security numbers and addresses of those on the Casualty Rosters. I know what they are doing. They are cross checking their files so they can quietly discontinue coverage even if the policy holder's heirs are still living in the property."

"Unfortunately it makes sense from a business stand point even if it isn't very humane. Besides, there has been a lot of policies lapse due to nonpayment." After a brief hesitation Scott says, "I want to cancel our health and dental insurance."

"Excuse me?" Sissy all but squawked.

"We pay nearly $800.00 per month between the two even on our bare-minimum policy coverage. I've been calling around. None of our providers are taking appointments. Three-quarters of them aren't even taking calls or they've closed all together. Blue Cross was honest and said they are routing most of their members to local Ask-A-Nurse phone-in centers. I don't want to keep throwing that much money down the toilet every month."

"Fine. Next problem. What about Sarah's braces? She said a wire broke this morning when she was flossing her teeth."

"I know. She already told me. I just clipped the wire. When I tried to call her orthodontist all of his numbers have been disconnected. I'm not paying that bill anymore either. They can try and send a collection agency for the balance after this is all over. I dare them."

"I just hate not paying our bills."

"That's why I am canceling the policies myself rather than allowing the accounts to default. I have no idea what things are going to look like in a year's time, but I want to be in the best credit position as possible."

As many people notice, the moratorium does not cover certain situations. It only covered collaterally-insured loan holders. Those that pay rent or hold leases with specific payment terms, are still stuck. Many people are also waiting to see if the moratorium includes non-mortgage loans such as student loans and car loans or other rotating debts - such as credit cards - as they were not specifically mentioned by the OCC. There is already noise that student loan repayment will simply be stuck into federal income tax collections. No one was happy to hear that. That means that even if a student defaults, the government will come after their loan co-signer which is usually their parent(s) who, surprise surprise, often sign as guarantors whether they realize it or not. Most of that information is gathered via FAFSA which most universities require as part of their application process ... and no one really reads what they are actually signing or how that information will be used.

There is some thinking that debt holders (credit card companies in particular) will freeze current balances for those unable to make payments and accept lowered minimum payments with no penalties. This means that they will freeze your balance due on unsecured debt such as credit cards, adding no additional monthly interest, so long as the card holder continues to make a timely minimum payment. This payment will go directly towards paying off the balance due. The flip side to this would be that it will also freeze the card holder's ability to use the account to put on more debt, in effect temporarily canceling the credit card. Those who continue to pay off their credit card payments in the original system will continue to have access to their credit balance; not that this does much good as many places no longer accept credit cards.

Utility bills are also not covered by the moratorium. Water and electric still need to be paid for and you can still have your utilities shut off for non-payment. This is one of the weakest points in our family's business continuity plans. Because of local regulations, most multi-family housing rentals have their water paid for by the landlord since the units are on the same water meter. And, if this is the case, state law prevents the landlord from disconnecting utilities; if they do, they face severe penalties. There is no real incentive for the tenants to conserve water use. Unbeknownst to the tenants, Scott has been installing a piece of equipment called a water governor at each unit. This piece of equipment measures the volume of water and then will cut off when a certain measure is reached. It has a timer on it that will then allow so much time to go by before turning back on and allowing water to flow again. This device is helping somewhat, but the utility bills are still eating into their business reserves. Scott allows the tenants to think it is a municipal issue and reminds them of the order to conserve water issued by the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

* * *

 _"I am sick and tired of my water going off all the time. Seems like every day it goes off. If you don't fix this water problem, I am not going to pay my rent. How do you like that Mr. Landlord?!"_

 _"I pay the bills and have receipts to prove it. Its not my fault if you are using too much water. I warned you about letting your sister and all her kids come over here and use the shower, do their laundry and fill that big tank to take back to their house."_

 _"They don't have any water at their place. They had their water turned off by the City. I pay my rent. I can use my water any way I want to."_

 _"One, it isn't your water. I'm the one that pays for it and it happens to be included with your lease but is not part of the rent. Two, no you can't do just whatever you want with the water because the city has already given out water restriction rules and both you and I can be ticketed for over usage. Now, if your sister paid her bill she should have receipts. Just tell her to take them Water Department and they'll turn her water back on."_

 _"She ain't got no money. Her ol' man ran off."_

 _"Fine. She wants to pay rent to me, or pay a fee, she can have water. Otherwise I'm going to have her trespassed next time she shows up and it sounds like she doesn't need that kind of trouble on top of all the trouble she already has."_

 _"Man, ain't you got no heart?!"_

 _"Look, I've got my own family to think of. I'm the one paying the water bills around here, and it's not cheap. Tell me why your family should be more important to me than my own."_

 _"Dude, she ain't got no water and she's got four kids."_

 _"And I have five … Dude."_

 _"That's cold man. You're just #$%^ &* cruel."_

 _"Fine. I'm a cold-blooded bastard. Tell your sister instead of wasting gas driving over here, to walk to the water station two blocks from her house. The city is selling potable water for 25 cents a gallon. It'd be cheaper. Water is less expensive than gas."_

 _"OK smart ass, what about washing clothes and giving the kids a bath?!"_

 _"Do what my wife does. Save rainwater. No more excuses. I find out this happens again – and trust me I'll find out – and it'll be you who has to stand in line to buy water. Got me? No more warnings. And please be my guest about passing the word around the complex. I'm done messing around. We all have to live by the new rules. No one is exempt."_

* * *

Later than night Sissy finally gets Scott to talk about what was eating at him.

"Do you think I'm heartless?

"What? Of course not!"

"Why is it that I'm the one that is the bad guy when they are the ones that are taking advantage of me? They are the ones that don't follow the rules."

"OK, back up and give me a chance to catch up with this story."

After Scott repeats the conversation he had to have with one of his oldest and best tenants, "It's like they don't care that this crap is happening to everyone. The only thing that matters is how they feel and how they are affected. They act like I'm Fort Knox and they should be able to make a withdrawal anytime they feel like it."

"Oh honey. Don't' let them get to you. They were wrong. You were, and are, right. They got caught doing something that they shouldn't have and they didn't like being told to stop. Especially since this isn't the first warning you've given them."

"I know I'm right. But that doesn't make me feel any better."

"I'd take your place if I could. And frankly they better be glad it isn't me. I've got a lot less patience for some of those women. And I don't like how they try and use their gender to twist you this way and that. They do the same thing with repairs and maintenance ... but I have kids, my kids have asthma, yada, yada, yada. Well we have kids too and we are making due just like everyone else out there when it comes to water. Time for them to figure it out and to stop expecting others to just roll over and let them get away with murder."

"Yeah, I know. Look, it's not that I'm asking them to bow and scrape whenever I walk by. I don't even want a thank you. But it would be nice of them to realize that I'm on the same damn sinking ship as they are. I'm barely keeping us afloat. I don't need someone poking holes in the bottom of the boat while I'm dipping water out with a tea cup."

"Oh sweetheart." Sissy reaches over and gives Scott and hug. "I have a bad feeling things are only going to get worse before they get better. Then they'll see."

"Thank you for that lovely thought," Scott snipes. "You haven't heard the rest of it. While I was digging up a line at one of the other places, I ran afoul of the Water Department. They thought I was digging up their water lines because somebody in one of the duplexes complained that the water kept shutting off in the buildings when other people on the street would still have water. They thought I was illegally re-routing water supply lines. Took me forever to get it cleared up."

"What did you do?"

"One I had to prove I was the owner of the property … and thank goodness I carry a copy of all my licenses. Next I had to get them to realize the pipes were on my side of their water meter and that it wasn't a water line I was digging up but a sewer line. At the street some of them look just about alike."

"Well all's well that ends well."

"Well, not quite. You know those water governors aren't technically legal. One of the guys on the Water Department detail was actually a supervisor overseeing some water reclamation project. Anyway, of course he figures out what I've done. And I can't lie about it. He asks how well it is working and whether any of the tenants are disabling the governors, etc. Well, at first I thought his questions were kind of strange. I was expecting a huge fine at the very least but here is this guy asking me how well my system is working like he is really interested."

"Does he have rental units of his own?"

"No. And this is something he told me I didn't hear from him. The Water Department is looking at putting water governors on the water mains. They've already had to disable some of the fire hydrants that are being vandalized. The guy said the city is a lot closer to utility failure than most people think. It helps that some of the heavy industry is shut down. They've actually turned the water off to some of the commercial districts around town. But residential water usage is still too high for them to keep up with."

"How close to failure is close."

"He said that they've got maybe … maybe … a two week window to do something or the whole system could crash."

"Oh. Oh no. That's bad all right." Sissy was momentarily breathless trying to absorb the newest emergency they might have to face.

"They've started acquiring all of the spare parts they can find from all the local plumbing and parts supply houses – confiscating to be honest – and they have a couple of techs that can fabricate the rest of the system. If water usage begins to be controlled by putting governors on the primary water mains then they'll branch out from there and may even go as far as putting them at each water meter to keep individual houses and buildings from bleeding the whole system before everyone else can get their fair share."

"I guess it makes sense but do they have the man power for that?"

"They've got plans to contract out as much of the work that they can't handle. First they need to see if it will work at the bigger stations. This is just one more reason why I'm glad we aren't on public water. If I could just figure out why our solar panel won't run our well pump, and then fix it, we wouldn't have to be worrying about any of this."

"If it wasn't lack of power, it would be something else. What if the pump blew or the capacitor goes bad."

"Bite your tongue woman. Are you trying to bring trouble on us?"

After a few minutes of quiet, Sissy asks "You want some popcorn? Power's on; we could drop a movie in the DVD – something full of action and testosterone – and chow on some chili cheese popcorn. I'll even dig out a couple of cans of soda I've been saving. I think we are all due a completely mindless family fun night."

"Mindless fun … sounds good to me. See if there is anything the kids want to watch while I grab some pillows and the sleeping bags. We'll all camp out in our bedroom for the night."

Scott heads to the linen closet while Sissy calls for the kids to come help her with the popcorn and movie choice. Sometimes you just have to shove the bad stuff down in the cellar and enjoy the ones your love.


	14. Chapter 13

_**Chapter 13**_

Next to health and finances comes weather as one of the biggest topics of conversation. Its discussed at home, at work, on the news and you will find that folks have an endless fascination for it. For the Chapmans, living in central FL, the cooler weather they are now experiencing is actually a relief because even with only occasional black outs, there have been days of unbearable combined heat and humidity. There have been higher than normal deaths due to heat because places that used to allow seniors and the homeless to congregate, to get out of the heat, no longer exist. They have been converted to other uses such as barracks for National Guard troops or neighborhood clinics. Additionally, if people run out of drinking water before the power comes back on, they can quickly suffer from dehydration. Dehydration, regardless of its origin, can quickly lead to death.

While the family's area is finally feeling relief, their more northerly counterparts are beginning to suffer from the other extreme. The mass deliveries of cords of wood to families that relied on wood burning stoves and fireplaces for some - or all - of their home's warmth are no longer occurring. They have to gather wood by hand and/or chop wood from whatever source they can find. Green wood doesn't burn as efficiently as seasoned wood does and it smokes and leaves dangerous deposits of creosote inside the chimney. It also doesn't heat the home as effectively. For those whose homes were built to use heating oil, even if it is available, getting supplied is cost prohibitive. For those whose heating is dependent on electricity alone, they are at the mercy of any rolling blackouts or permanent power interruptions. Those homes in the best position are those with redundant heat sources. They aren't dependent on just one source.

Nationwide there have been thousands of deaths due to exposure. While the pandemic flu is striking the able-bodied adults, exposure is taking the very young and the very old. The prepandemic homeless population has been decimated into near extinction and the new homeless, displaced by infrastructure failure or caught away from home for some reason, have taken their place with no better success. Less acutally, as they haven't had time to develop their survival skills.

A significant percentage of deaths also result from carbon monoxide poisoning and from inhaling smoke from fires contaminated with poisonous wood. There have been problems with fires getting out of control because there was no water to pump or not enough firefighters in the area to deal with the fire. In some cities where the utilities are stretched very thin, or are non-existent, fires starting in one home have grown to take out whole streets before burning out. The worst example of this happens in Chicago when they suffer a fire similar to the Great Fire of October 1871. Only this one isn't cause by Mrs. O'Leary's cow but by sparks ejected up the floo of a dirty chimney.

It is during this next phase of the pandemic that you can tell the preppers, and the extremely adaptable, from the people who did not recognize the potential enormity of the threat. Mitigation strategies give people more opportunity to survive, prepping gives people the resources to apply the mitigation strategies.

The Chapmans are taking full advantage of both ideas. While their goal was originally to prep for a year-long catastrophic event, they only made it comfortably to the a nine month level. With the pandemic only 3 months old, they are still much better off than most people. Because of their food storage plan, they have been able to save their cash to put towards maintaining a balanced financial plan. What this means is if they need to eventually return to purchasing items from a store before the pandemic is over, they still have the money to do so.

* * *

 _"Scott."_

 _"What babe?"_

 _"I'm stretching the food almost as far as I can. Any further and we'll be hungry all of the time."_

 _"How much do we have left?"_

 _"Counting everything in the house we have any where from seven to eight months."_

 _"I thought we only started with nine months. Its been three already. Shouldn't that leave us with six months or less?"_

 _"It was nine months of preps. I never included the stuff in the refrigerator and freezer. I also didn't include some of the regular groceries in the kitchen cabinets. Then on top of that, we only eat two meals a day once or twice a week. All of that has added up to the good for us."_

 _"I hear a 'but' in there somewhere."_

 _"Yeah. I'm still worried that we will run out of stuff and not be able to resupply. And who knows how long this recession is going to last on top of all the other pandemic issues."_

 _"Well, we already talked about some long term plans but I can't change the cost of groceries."_

 _"We won't have to go to the grocery for a good long time yet; especially if we supplement with fresh stuff. I want to expand our edible landscaping and get stuff growing in my containers. It may not bring in a lot of food, but anything will help."_

 _"Do me a favor. Instead of telling me what you want to do, make a honey-do list and James and I will get started on it tomorrow. That sound OK?"_

 _"That sounds wonderful. Lucky for me I remembered to pick up all that quad-ruled paper. It'll be easier to put a garden design on paper. I'll get started on it as soon as I get the girls hanging this load of laundry out on the line."_

* * *

With the help of Scott and James, Sissy starts adding to their long-term storage supply by planting cool-weather crops like beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, collards, lettuce, mustard greens, onion, English peas, potatoes, radishes, spinach, strawberries, and turnip greens. It will be about 20 days before they see their first radish and mesclun greens. This should be just in time for the US traditional celebration of Thanksgiving.

Other people in their neighborhood are trying their hand at gardening as well. One of the most sought after barter item at their neighborhood market is vegetable seeds. More people than expected had a packet or two of flower seeds or vegetable seeds tucked away. It turns out most of the seeds are viable and germinate. The local grocery stores also offer seed packets for sale, though they are a premium item.

On the same empty lot where the trash burning and market happens there is a small common garden tended by everyone in the neighborhood. If they expect to benefit from it they had better tend it. And if you don't or can't tend it, you take your turn to help guard it. This is such a serious bit of work that the neighborhood created their own "Mayflower Compact" and all adults signed it, at least those willing to cooperate did. Like any place, the neighborhood has a few people that are into being takers-only. People who will only take have quickly found themselves segregated. If you won't work together, if you won't work period, you don't benefit from the group effort. Unfortunately one of these families has young children and the neighborhood does its best to look after the children without giving the parents anymore than they can help. But it is a catch-22. Everyone knows the parents are wringing from the situation everything they can, but people do it for the kids' sake.

Those families that are trying to grow their own gardens eagerly seek the advice of experienced gardeners in the neighborhood. Knowledge is as good a barter item as any, and that is how many of the elderly in the neighborhood are getting by. They trade their experience and knowledge for whatever people are willing to share. It is a true win-win situation for everyone.

For many Americans this is a very tough time. With November here, the weather is changing from pleasant to frosty in many locations. The last big harvests have been made north of the Mason Dixon line. The majority will now have to make do with whatever they have been able to set aside . . . food, fuel, and clothing, all of the basic necessities.

And the hardships include more than just trying to hold the body together. Almost every family has experienced some loss, if not in their immediate family, then in their extended one.

In Hillsborough County, FL - where the Chapmans reside - there was a population of over a million during a recent census. Thus far in the pandemic, the community averages about a 30% compliance rate with mitigation strategies. The schools closed fairly quickly, public gatherings were cancelled, and a strict curfew was imposed. Many entertainment and tourism based industries tried to remain open but were ultimately forced to close and implement stringent business continuity plans. All of this helped to lower the attack rate of the virus compared to other cities who either did not implement mitigation strategies or that were slower to implement them.

Even so, the overall attack rate of the virus remains about two percent of the total population in this area. At three months into the pandemic this means that of the total population of Hillsborough County approximately 5,800 people have been taken ill with the pandemic flu virus. Due to the high CFR of the virus strain of those 5,800 people over 2,300 have died. That is in Hillsborough county alone, over three months.

Though those numbers may seem small compared to other locations, especially those that are being reported in Third World countries, the effect has been devastating. First, there are the physical logistics involved with dealing with that many deaths – and remember, this does not include the "normal" deaths experienced by the county. Nor does it include the deaths that occurred from infrastructure breakdowns (i.e., lack of medication for chronic illnesses, untreated infections, lack of timely medical transportation from scenes of accidents, less prenatal care, etc.). This doesn't even begin to factor in that lack of mitigation means that the attack rate is much higher than two percent in some areas.

Just working with the CFR from influenza, 2300 deaths mean that in excess of 25 funerals would have been held per day since the beginning of the pandemic. Funerals exist as the end of one part of the grieving process and a beginning of another. Without funerals or memorial services, many people have a difficult time psychologically transitioning between the initial steps in the grieving process. There is a loss of "shared grieving" when family and friends can't come together. Unfortunately, during this stage of the pandemic funerals and memorial services where people gather are prohibited because of the mitigation strategies.

Even if they were not prohibited, the sheer number of burials has overwhelmed the funerary and burial services in the county. In some areas of the county, there are not even enough burial plots to service the community's dead. Those individuals that had pre-paid for their burial and plot are still being placed as time allows in their chosen location. However, most people who die of pandemic flu, are being processed as quickly as their remains are identified and interred in trench gravesites.

Trench graves are not mass graves. How it works is an appropriate site is chosen. A long trench is dug. Bodies are laid side by side in their body bags (remember, not enough coffins) with appropriate number and identification attached. The location of each body and its identification is carefully recorded and the trench is back-filled. Plastic stakes with identification numbers marked in indelible ink are placed at the head of each body's location. Then, the numbers with their cross-referenced identification are logged into a statewide database set up expressly for this purpose. The statewide database also dumps information into the national Casualty Roster.

In Hillsborough County, the "appropriate sites" are thus far in unused portions of existing cemeteries. However, there is simply not enough room in the existing cemeteries to accommodate the high mortality numbers expected. Other sites are currently being marked in north, south, and eastern regions of the county where there is still some open land available. The water table in the land to the west is too high, and the area too densely populated.

These burial practices have caused a great deal of contention in some parts of the community. Some families have religious considerations, some ethnic, some racial, etc. The local government has tried to address these issues by saying that panflu has killed without consideration of religion, race, economics, ethnicity, etc. and therefore they must attempt to (to the best of their ability) address the resulting consequences in the same way. Many families remain unconvinced. The result is a protest on the steps of City Hall by angry and grief stricken individuals, many of them parents that have been forced to give up the bodies of their children for burial in what they consider unhallowed graves. Regardless of intent, all this does is give the virus another venue to exploit and the city has another minor "spike" occur when several protestors come down with influenza.

Guards were put on the burial sites to prevent people from covertly disinterring their family members or holding religious ceremonies in an area that is considered a biohazard zone.

As the number of dead continues to grow, the time to try and identify bodies is shrinking. There is a special burial area set aside for unidentified dead, such as people who were blatantly part of the homeless community or those bodies that were found without identification. Many bodies that have been found out of doors and are made even more difficult to identify because animals have begun to see these corpses as a food source. The medical examiner has also noted on more than one occasion that it was extremely likely that the individual wasn't quite deceased before they became prey, only extremely debilitated or comatose.

Tampa is coping as best it can under the circumstances. There are weekly memorial services being broadcast simultaneously on public television and radio stations. There are moments of silence through the day. Many local psychological counseling centers have volunteered to staff call-in centers to help people cope. Discussion boards are set up specifically to help identify the unknown dead, deal with the grieving process, reunite children with guardian adults/family when they've been found alone, and to pre-screen potential adoptive families. The Foster Care system of training is the framework for this pre-screening. Many families that would have passed before now are missing the financial ability to adopt and the state has no money to subsidize foster care. It is with great reluctance, but with a realization that it is more cost effective during these times, that the outdated system of orphanages comes back into use.

Families all over are dealing with all of these trials, and more, as best they can. The postal service, despite its irregularity, helps the Chapmans stay in touch with family and friends that cannot be reached by phone or email. Scott and Sissy frequently wait until the kids are abed to screen the letters they receive. With every letter there is both good news and bad as evidenced by a letter Sissy received just a couple of days ago.

* * *

 _Dear Sissy,_

 _I've got time on my hands while the kids listen to their dad read the next chapter of The Swiss Family Robinson and I decided to take this time and finish a couple of letters in case the postman runs tomorrow._

 _After a couple of weeks of rolling "brownouts" the power is now out and we suspect will stay out. Phone service is erratic. Local service still going, but long distance is iffy. FIL received one last frantic phone call from Grandpa in another state. Grandma had passed away in the night. Born during panflu year 1918, she luckily did not succumb to the current flu, but went peacefully in the night. Grandpa is frantic though because their caretaker daughter, in the upstairs apartment is ill, and he cannot get anyone to help him, with her illness or with Grandma's body. He is 92. FIL tells him to contact the other daughter who lives about an hour away, but Grandpa doesn't know if she can come-because of the quarantine. Then the phone goes dead. A couple of hours later, phone service comes back up. Dh runs a laptop off a power inverter in the car and sends out as many e-mails as he can-he tries to connect to Grandpa, but we get no response. FIL tries the phone again-the call goes through, but just rings and rings on the other side. There is no answer._

 _Dh has had to put one of our dogs down. A German Shepherd, getting on in age, she was suffering from hip displasia, and we could not get her to a vet for treatment. The other dog does not go out unless a person is with her to keep a sharp eye out that she does not come in contact with other animals. Its somewhat risky, but she does have to go out sometimes. The cat is permanently confined to the house._

 _The house, and us, are starting to feel grimy. I would just love to soak in a hot bath for a long time. FIL has moved in with us. He sleeps on the couch, though we have a spare room, he says he prefers the couch and that way he can guard the front door. He's cut WAAAY back on his smoking-he did stock up on tobacco but he's trying to make it last. I can't let him smoke in the house-allergies and asthma, but I also feel like I can't ask him to totally stop either as its one of very few comforts he has. So he does go outside, but the cig smoke gets in his clothes, and washing and bathing are minimal now so now the couch reeks of cig smoke. It irritates the hell out of me, and then I feel petty about it._

 _We've managed to keep the garbage issue manageable. Dog gets any food scrapes left- any organic waste-coffee grounds, veg peels etc. gets composted along with paper/cardboard. Glass jars and tin cans are washed-canning jars put away for next season, tin cans bagged "for recycling" but occasionally the bits of metal come in handy for things. Tin foil washed and reused til it falls apart. Other trash is carefully burned after dark so no smoke is seen._

 _Homeschooling has become difficult with no on-line lessons-I've about tapped out my math knowledge. Also FIL likes to "help" by giving the kids long extemporaneous lectures which may or may not be factual. Dh tries to draw him away into some project but then they get into an argument about how the project should be done and there is either much banging of tools in the workshop-which is directly under the dining table where we homeschool, or sulking, often both. Doesn't make for a good study environment._

 _The house is a little chilly, because we don't have fans to blow the heat where it needs to go, so one favorite homeschool activity is to huddle up under blankets on someone's bed-usually dh and mine cause its the biggest. Can't use the couch because when we want to use it is inevitably when FIL decides to take a nap, and also, its stinky now and we really don't want to use it. So we get toasty under blankets and read._

 _Sometimes they read textbooks, but mostly they read the classics. Sometimes I read out loud to them to help with concentration and to explain things to them. (I really really miss the Net for this!) If the day is nice out, we wait until after supper and very often dh joins in. We alternate with some fun reading as well-though often what they consider fun books goes into the "classical" category. For example, I read Robinson Crusoe aloud, then dh read "Selkirk's Island" which is what Defoe based his Crusoe book on. (We will skip "Journal of a plague year" however) Everyone loves this, even FIL. Their math and science might be shaky at the end of the year, but they will have a dandy classical education._

 _Dh has enclosed our back deck in plastic sheeting to trap a little more heat for the house and also to act as a greenhouse. He's thinking of ways to build a real connecting greenhouse on to the back of the house. He has already built a great outdoor oven from field stone, and we fire it up and do some baking. We do baking on overcast days to camouflage the smoke._

 _It is eerily quiet. Although we live some distance from the road, we used to occasionally hear cars or trucks. We've not heard any traffic in a couple of weeks, nor have we heard any planes go over. There's no tv of course, no appliance hum. No phones. Sometimes hubby cranks up the windup radio. Most stations have gone off the air. The government has taken over Public Radio and the news broadcasts are ridiculously cheery, nothing close to how things really are around here._

 _For a while we used the cb to connect with a ham radio operator to get outside news but he died of the flu. Most of the cb traffic now is rants about how the government has failed us miserably which is true, but not very helpful. FIL enjoys listening to this, but it gets on the rest of our nerves._

 _In the afternoons Dh, ds and sometimes dd are building a medieval trebuchet with hand tools. This is something they've wanted to do for a long time. I try to distract myself from gloomy thoughts with complicated knitting patterns-I'm working on Scandinavian Mittens, along with the occasional plain old sock. If dh is reading aloud in the evenings I quilt, but quilting in quiet afternoons leaves my mind free to go places I don't want it to go._

 _We try to use the solar charged lanterns in the evenings as much as possible, and save our lamp oil and candles. It gets dark at five in the wintertime, so there's a lot of dark. Also, many days are overcast and we can't get the batteries and lanterns fully charged. Sometimes we just go to bed early. I try not to fret in the long dark, but I do. I wonder how my mom is-if she is still alive. I haven't heard from her in so long._

 _Well, story time is over and_ _the light is fading so I'll sign off here. You are in our thoughts as I know we are in yours._

 _Greenie and family_

* * *

Cities in the US that were already burdened with population density so thick that cemeteries filled up faster than land could be found to enlarge them are having to take drastic action. Mass graves that did not attempt any body identification are being put in anywhere they will fit. Some landfills that have huge incinerators are being changed over to mass crematoriums, and they still run 24 hours per day.

Everywhere, bodies are being buried or disposed of as quickly as possible. Sometimes this means they are buried before the ink of the death-certificate even touches paper; often before next of kin can be notified. This slipshod body identification and death certificate processing will cause many legal ramifications for people post-pandemic, but as of now there is no other alternative. Bodies of panflu victims are considered a biohazard and are treated accordingly with as much – or as little – dignity as local authorities can muster.

Making the normal grieving process even more difficult during this pandemic is the approaching holiday season. People unable to reach their extended family members wonder if the last time they talked to them will be the last time they will ever get to talk to them. There is a lot of excitement if contact is made, but there is also fear that a letter may tell of an unexpected loss.

Sissy finally hears from one of their close friends out in Texas and the letter holds out hope that things are improving for some people.

* * *

 _Dear Sissy,  
_  
 _Thank goodness for the flu forums like Flu Wiki and PFI. Because of these websites, I had a heads up and a short time period before the official announcement that the pandemic had started. I took advantage of that time to alert my relatives in East Texas (the Anglo side) and my husband's family here in El Paso (the Hispanic side). DH tried to convince my mother to fly to El Paso, but she wouldn't leave her apartment. A few relatives had already started prepping, but those who hadn't done anything were at least able to get some basic food supplies.  
_  
 _I had a number of friends both in and out of town that I notified, and I then talked to my closest neighbors including the single Anglo man who lives on two acres in front, our new Anglo neighbors next door with the two small boys, and our single Anglo female neighbor, a retired teacher, who lives across the street. She was particularly concerned with feed for her horses. I asked if she could talk to the Mexican-American family next to her, and she said sure. I don't know them, but they also have small kids.  
_  
 _We called our oldest son in Chicago, and as we had arranged, he packed a bag and his flute and took the first plane home. Our daughter 600 miles away didn't want to listen at first, but we finally convinced her to leave. She ran out of gas 100 miles from home and was stranded in Fabens where she had a couple of scary hours until my husband was able to get to her. They just abandoned the car and returned in his truck. Of course our middle and youngest sons already live at home, so that was not a problem.  
_  
 _The first couple of months were actually the worst. The hospitals were overwhelmed, there were a few riots at grocery stores and pharmacies, but mostly people were just scared. Those who were out at the last minute were the ones who fell ill first. Hospitals and clinics were overwhelmed, and the SunBowl Stadium was turned into a temporary morgue. We still don't know the exact number of deaths yet. The border was closed with the U.S. Border Patrol (one of our niece's husband is a Border Patrol agent and we worry for him every day) is covering our side and the Mexican Army covering the other. I suspect there is an agreement for the U.S. to donate medical supplies to the Mexican government, but that hasn't been confirmed. Either way both governments want to keep the other side from crossing the border and spreading the disease. The really sad part of this is that many families have relatives on both sides of the border and are unable to contact them. Everyone is just hoping for the best.  
_  
 _In our house, it isn't as hard as it might have been. DH and I are pretty much stay-at-home types, and there is always plenty to do. When the power and utilities are on, I cook (bread, beans, rice, things that take some time), do the laundry, and fill the water containers. DD helps especially with my youngest, the handicapped one, by changing him,feeding him, and playing with him. DH spends quite a bit of time in the field (we planted winter crops last fall, just in case), fixing the roof, and taking care of the septic tank. The two older boys (both in their 20s) spend their time helping him or playing basketball (one of few last minute purchases was a basketball stand, I thought they would need some entertainment).  
_  
 _Thankfully the few neighbrs we were able to notify took our warning seriously, and they also put up some food. We've pooled resources to the extent that we can. Our neighbors on the southern side, the ones with two small boys, have a swimming pool, and the few times that we have needed some extra water they have been generous. Our neighbor in front has a Mexican-American worker who lives in a small trailer on his property, and he's been invaluable. He knows even more about farming than any of us. The Mexican-American family next to the retired neighbor has planted an entire field of corn and beans.  
_  
 _I was worried that when I might have to use the generator I bought that it would attract unwanted attention. The solution has been to share it with our neighbors whenever we have had no power. Filling my son's oxygen tanks (he has respiratory problems and sleep apnea so he needs oxygen daily) comes first, of course, but we have also used it to recharge batteries for anyone who needs it. We just ask that they contribute enough gas for their own use. I've told the retired teacher that if she doesn't have anything to eat, to please come to our house. She's pretty independent and more worried about her horses than herself. I also lent some books to both families with children. They've all been reading the Harry Potter books as well as some of the classics such as C.S. Lewis and L. M. Montgomery.  
_  
 _We've also been sharing our seeds, and everyone has planted something. The men from the families patrol the areas during the day. There are only a couple of firearms (we don't have any), but it's really the presence of able-bodied adults and a number of guard dogs that seems to convince strangers to keep walking.  
_  
 _Although there are no television programs, we have a world-band radio to listen to when we can catch something. Everyone in the family can play chess although the older boys always win, oldest son practices the flute for a few hours every day, I'm teaching DD to crochet, and of course our library could keep us entertained for years. I'm going through my husband's collection of Hispanic literature that I've always promised myself I would do when I had time. So far we still have supplies that we are stretching as long as we can. We hear that farmers from the surrounding small towns are bringing trucks filled with vegetables, fruit, and even eggs, into the city. They're accepting cash and barter products. Thankfully we haven't had to buy anything. There are those who need it much more than us.  
_  
 _Also we just don't want to go around crowds. Although we've managed to make it through the first wave, we hear that a second wave is coming, and it might be worse.  
_  
 _Again, we can only hope for the best.  
_  
 _Your Texas Primos_


	15. Chapter 14

_**Chapter 14**_

The USA's celebration of Thanksgiving takes place on the fourth Thursday in November. This holiday is traditionally a time of family, food, and fun. People travel many miles to be together. Large quantities of food are cooked and consumed. Many people also spend the day watching sports broadcasts. This year things will be very, very different.

Many families have been devastated and decimated by panflu. There will be no large family gatherings. Fuel is too expensive for casual travel and large gatherings are a viral transmission risk. As for the food, with both fowl and swine proving to be infectious vectors of transmission for the panflu strain, the traditional meats of the holiday (turkey and ham) will be missing from most of those few tables still celebrating.

Technically, if infected animals are cooked appropriately their meat can be eaten. The problem lies in the butchering and processing. This issue removed a lot of the less expensive meat choices from the grocery shelves and drove the remaining meat prices even higher. Most wild fowl and swine are also suspect. Many states have banned hunting for the duration of the pandemic, though hungry families virtually ignore the mandate. Those few animals that have been found to be resistant or immune to the virus are being put into special breeding programs.

Sissy is beginning to have a difficult time. Her emotional stress level is quite high. While Scott's family has all been deceased for many years, Sissy was used to seeing her extended family at least on a monthly basis despite the distance of nearly 200 miles. She never missed a holiday with her parents. She knows she needs to come to grips with this so that she can set a good example for her children and she also knows that everyone is trying their best to do the right thing, and that many families have lost many of their members. But trying to model good behavior still isn't doing a whole lot for her state of mind.

Sissy worries for her parents who are both in their 60's and suffer some chronic health conditions. They live alone in a small town in a rural county. Their social network has been severely disrupted by the pandemic and they have no one to physically help them should the need arise. The one good thing is that she finally convinced them, before everything went to pieces, to do some prepping and canning and their food supplies are holding out while they supplement with their small garden. Also, they were able to stock a three-month supply of their medications and have recently been re-supplied through a local doctor and a special Veterans program. The government finally got a program up and running so that people suffering chronic conditions are getting at least some of their medications supplied to prevent them from having to enter the hospital.

The video conferencing system that they were able to convince some of the family's households to invest in has been a good way to keep the family together and share skill set knowledge. From an uncle she got directions on making an organic insect spray. From a cousin she got a recipe for broccoli that uses powered cheese. From another family member she got tip on companion planting. The electricity is not always on for everyone, but someone in their network is usually online no matter what time of day or night that they try the connection.

This holiday the extended family has made plans to have everyone taking turns well-wishing via teleconference. Afterwards Scott, Sissy and the kids will sit down to their dinner and give thanks that they have something when so many have lost so much. The holiday meal Sissy plans on serving may be smaller and they will be feeding fewer people, but it will be in a setting of thankfulness - perhaps even more so than in years past when so much was taken for granted. This year, nothing will be taken for granted because you never know if this is the last time you'll have a similar opportunity. And, thanks to Sissy's forethought, the meal will at least be semi-traditional despite all of the food shortages.

Before the pandemic one of Sissy's main concerns was to try and mitigate the trauma from the consequences of a pandemic for her children. She did this by trying to build in "normalcy" to their preps. She stored favorite foods. She stocked up on treats. And she took her creativity a little further by creating a "birthday-in-a-box" for each family member and by putting together "holiday-in-a-box" storage tubs for the major holidays the family celebrates.

For instance, in the Thanksgiving prep box she put several cans of turkey, some boxes of stove top stuffing mix, cranberry sauce, canned sweet potatoes, canned pumpkin, canned gravy, applesauce, and a few dried foods like potato flakes, corn, and green beans. She also included a couple packages of pie crust mix and a few packets of spices and seasonings. To the food she added decorative paper plates and napkins that she got on clearance after the holiday last year.

To be on the safe side Sissy had also included easy recipes to use with these foods just in case she wasn't around to do the cooking. She hated having to use that kind of thinking, but it could have happened. One of the recipes she put in the Thanksgiving box was for an eggless pumpkin pie. Before the pandemic Sissy became concerned with how many recipes required eggs. An avian influenza could make all eggs suspect. She ordered a year's worth of powdered eggs to try and help. She also found ingredients that could substitute for eggs in some types of recipes. However, she also collected lots of "eggless" recipes so that she could still provide her family with breads and desserts.

Since the family had electricity the day before Thanksgiving and they couldn't do any outdoor chores because of a rainstorm that seemed to have set in, Sissy baked the pie and bread early. When they were finished, she put them in the pie keep that Scott build her out of an electric wine cellar. The coils in the cellar no longer worked. He had gutted it for refrigeration parts. He replace the bottle racks with flat racks. The glass front made it easy to view the inside. It was deep enough to hold a whole loaf of bread. And the door gaskets and locking handle keeps bugs and rodents out.

As luck would have it, by the time the family awoke on Thanksgiving Day there was a black out in effect. The weather was too overcast to use their solar cooker and the ground too wet for pit cooking. The kids were sure that the holiday dinner that everyone had been anticipating was ruined, but with back up plans for her back up plans Sissy just smiled and told everyone not to give up so easily.

While Scott and the kids started their daily chores, including processing the water they had harvested from the rain storm, Sissy uses a small supply of their precious charcoal and puts together a box oven to cook the turkey and stuffing casserole. She will also cook the remainder of their meal items this way.

While the food is cooking, the family continues completing the rest of their chores ... setting dirty clothes to soak in rain water, dipping debris out of the pool, picking up fallen branches and cutting them into lengths to season, picking up any fallen fruit from their two citrus trees, etc.

Just as they finish washing up in preparation of setting the table for dinner, the power flickers back on. Sissy rushes to the computer and begins to call their extended family. Providentially, she reaches her parents right away and they are able to exchange news and holiday greetings. Her parents have already spoken to most of the remainder of the family and everyone is well and accounted for in most of the households. The last bit of news is not heartening as two family members have come down sick ... not from panflu, but from exposure to the cold, one of them has had to have a couple of toes amputated due to frostbite. They have some help, but it will likely be a while before anyone hears from them on a regular basis again.

After the last "good-bye" and "I love you" is said, Scott turns the computer off. He holds Sissy while she tries to hold back tears of both relief and sorrow; the kids join in for a big group hug celebrating that most everyone is still in one piece. They then head off to eat their holiday meal.

Before the meal begins, each person is encouraged to tell at least one thing that they are currently thankful for and tell something special about another family member. The things the kids are thankful for are very basic – food, water, dry clothes, etc. Scott is thankful for a full tank of gas. Sissy chokes up again as she tries unsuccessfully to say she is thankful none of her kids are gone, but everyone understands.

Once they begin eating, everyone sets to with a hearty appetite. It seems no one gets as much to eat as they used to and everyone is always hungry. This is especially true of James. He appears to be going through yet another growth spurt, and combined with all the extra manual labor he is doing, he is thinning out so much that Sissy is getting worried.

This meal Sissy has made sure that they can all eat their fill, but there will be no massive amounts of leftovers to eat on for several days as in years past. This time there is just enough left for one serving. By family agreement they plate the remainder up, the kids quickly draw some greeting cards, and Scott surreptitiously takes it a few doors down and gives it to one of their elderly neighbors that is the most in need. He would have like to have left it on the doorstep anonymously, but you can't do that nowadays ... an animal, human or otherwise, could easily run off with it.

With no football games to watch, the family cleans up the dinner mess and then plays a few active games together. The kids moan as the power flickers off yet again. It is just coming dusk so everyone piles inside and settles down while Scott sets up the solar/crank powered radio so they can listen to how the rest of the country ... and the world ... has spent the day.


	16. Chapter 15

_**Chapter 15**_

Scott tunes in to one of the local public broadcasting stations as the family gathers around. This particular station runs out of the local university which is just a few miles from their house and it is usually dependable. They broadcast a wide variety of programming in addition to their news segments. As everyone quiets down, the announcer comes on …

"You are listening to WUSF 89.7 on your radio dial. Welcome to your nightly recap of local, state, national, and world news. As a reminder our broadcasting schedules for both radio and public television are available at WUSF dot com and you can listen to and view portions of our broadcasts with Windows Media Player, iTunes, QuickTime, RealAudio, and RealPlayer.

In Tampa today, College Hill again erupted in pandemonium. These riots are worse than the 1967 and 1987 riots in this same area. Just as police and National Guard troops reasserted their control, a small group of protestors lobbed firebombs into the few remaining public housing structures still standing. Fire swept across the complex then burned several blocks of businesses including the only remaining grocery store serving the area. With insufficient water pressure, and fire department personnel unable to enter the area, the flames only halted once they met a firebreak caused by a conflagration that occurred during last month's riot. In response, people living in the affected neighborhoods attempted to evacuate but met with armed resistance by residents living surrounding blocks who were determined to keep the violence from spreading to their streets.

In another part of Hillsborough County, there was a food riot in Riverview when patrons found all the Publix grocery stores were closed in observance of Thanksgiving. When National Guard troops were pulled to cover the riot in Tampa, several stores were broken into and looted. Representatives for the chain say now, instead of being closed for one day, it will be at least a week before they reopen. One source who wished to remain anonymous, speculated that several of the stores would not reopen at all due to extensive damage and lack of stock.

At the state level, there is heated debate over when to reopen public schools. Talk is so heated and the advisability so hotly debated that even thinking about it has been tabled until the first of the New Year. Complicating the matter is that many schools are currently in use as hospital overflow sites or juvenile living facilities. It is unknown how quickly they can be vacated and sanitized for use as educational facilities again.

Parts of the Miami-Dade area are nothing but smoldering ruins after several rafts washed ashore containing the picked over corpses of refugees from the Caribbean. The discovery caused panic in the streets that led to several violent protests. Gang violence has been particularly vicious as different factions vie over territory and control of supply distribution locations.

On a more optimistic note, the Disney Corporation in Orlando has taken the bold step of expanding its experimental hydroponics farm that was on display at their "The Land" exhibit in E.P.C.O.T. Several fish farms around the state are partnering the endeavor and have expanded production and added their own hydroponics division. The initial results from this partnership look very promising. Lotta Badneuse will have more on this tomorrow during her Business & Economy segment.

After another emergency meeting, the Governor has signed legislation mandating that all citrus groves in Florida must now and henceforth register with the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. This mandate requires that all groves, regardless of size, will be adequately maintained and harvested to alleviate community hunger. If an owner does not come forward or fails to register their crop, the State will commandeer the harvest for public use without compensation.

The GoldKist chicken processing plant in Suwannee County has finally received permission to re-open after several decontamination efforts. The problem is there are no chickens to process. They've all been culled except for a small population that appears to be genetically immune to the current panflu strain. Good news if this breed can pass on the immunity consistently over several generations. However, researchers warn that the current panflu virus can still mutate into one the animals are not immune to. Cross contamination between the avian and mammal/human strains of the virus is still a problem in many areas.

In national news, the continued violence and civil unrest in Los Angeles and New York City resists all efforts to contain it. Block upon city block in both metropolitan areas are picked over wastelands that more cloesly resemble the war torn slums of the Middle East that anything formerly seen in the USA. NYC has particularly suffered as surrounding areas chose to blockade the city rather than accept another disorganized mass emigration like the one that came after the first pandemic case was diagnosed in Manhattan. Residents in both cities must live in a siege like state just to survive.

The Philadelphia riots appear to be over, at least for now. But casualties from the riots rival those from the pandemic in that area and clean up is hampered by lack of personnel and resources.

Chicago continues to recover from the fire that razed half the city when high winds pushed the flames all the way to the banks of Lake Michigan. News coming out of the area suggest that thousands of bodies remain in the ruins. All officials can do for most of the bodies is note the location they are found. Many of the bodies are either burned beyond recognition or have no official identification on them. Thus far there are 527 John Does, 726 Jane Does, and 426 unknowns (bodies burned so badly that sex is indeterminate). The city would not have recovered the bodies that it has if not for a large brigade of citizen volunteers.

All across the country, every available agricultural field is in planning stages for spring planting. Many farmers are considering the feasibility of converting pastureland to food production in anticipation of extraordinary demand next season. But, fuel costs and lack of spare parts has the industry applying to the federal government for assistance. Legislation at both the state and federal levels is being written to address the need for expanded subsidies.

US ranch cattle and dairy farmers are already receiving federal assistance in caring for their cattle herds. Bovines are one of the few domesticated food animals to so far escape vulnerability to the current panflu strain. Researchers at BYU continue to caution that there remains a risk of human to cow infection resulting in a cow flu. If this happens, the last major domesticated meat source may be gone from the menu.

Investigation has finally pinpointed the cause for the unusually early spike in panflu cases that swept Washington, DC metro area at the very beginning of the pandemic to a diplomatic envoy from Bangladesh. The envoy had come to apply for international assistance as they had exhausted all European and Asian assistance.

According to business and aviation reports, every commercial airline company has now declared bankruptcy. The price of fuel, quarantine issues, and restricted international air travel has essentially ground the industry to a halt. With Congress unable to muster more than half of its members, it is uncertain whether there will be a Federal "bail out" in time to keep the companies from closing their doors permanently.

In other business news, the technology industries are getting stronger. This is partly fueled by the higher demand for distance communication strategies. The higher demand is also affected by the loss of trained technicians to absenteeism and attrition. Higher demand plus low supply equals higher prices.

Globally the economic outlook is much grimmer.

Many countries that survived on food imports in prepandemic times now have people starving in the streets. There are entire countries in Africa that appear to have simply ceased to exist and dark reports of cannibalism are being whispered.

Russia and the Ukraine have a partnership agreement to get the Ukrainian wheat harvested. Eastern Europe is doing unusually well compared to some areas of Eurasia. The many hard years under Communism and subsequent attempts at capitalism taught the people how to live on practically nothing and expect even less. True, there have been many thousands of deaths, and continued terrorism by various rebel and religious factions threatens to destabilize the region, but they are still holding their own at this time.

Egypt and Indonesia though initially somewhat experienced in dealing with panflu from their cases before the strain became efficiently transmitted from human to human, quickly collapsed under the weight of a CFR greater than 69%. Vaccine production in Egypt has been halted. The United Nations hopes to get troops into the country to ascertain if the plants can be salvaged and put back on line, but the timeline for this is uncertain.

The entire Middle East has degenerated back to the tribal way of life and warfare. There are huge caches of weapons – chemical and conventional – that are being used against close neighbors. Not even the most intrepid foreign correspondent will now venture into the region. From last reports, all of the strong, stabilizing personalities in the area have either succumbed to panflu or to assassination. The world is waiting to see if a leader will emerge who is more interested in peace than personal glory. The world holds its breath waiting to see if one of the groups will set off a nuclear explosion or a terrorist group will export a dirty bomb.

Western Europe is fairing only slightly better than Eastern Europe. Paris has seen a great fire that weakened one of the supporting legs of the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre has been ransacked and is suffering from serious smoke damage. The Catholic Church has been forced to partner with the national governments of Spain and Portugal to keep the countries stabilized. The Italian leadership in Rome is completely decimated and most major decisions for Italy are coming out of The Vatican. Many of the royal families of Europe are in complete isolation, though some branches have been all but destroyed.

Many of the northern European countries are relying heavily on their fishing fleets to provide food for their hungry populations.

The military bases at Thule, Greenland and those in Antarctica are still under strict isolation. Supplies, however, are running low. Re-supply plans are being strategized. Strict rationing is already in effect and both bases only have 30 days of resources left.

A last note. The traditional pardon of the turkey normally issued by the White House every Thanksgiving since 1989 did not take place. The normally sumptuous holiday banquet was cancelled as well. This was a show of solidarity by the White House in acknowledgement of the many citizens going hungry this year.

And that's the news for this Thanksgiving. We'll close tonight's news segment with the latest installment from Devon Mcloud.

 _This is Devon McLoud reporting to you from what is left of Chicago, Illinois. Hundreds of families are camped out in what remains of Soldier Field. All around, the smoking ruins of this once great city keep these huddled masses warm as the temperature drops below freezing for the fourth night in a row.  
_  
 _Most of those here escaped burning to death either through luck or by escaping into Lake Michigan by boat or on floating debris. On one end of the field, a hospital of sorts has been set up. After three days, only nine of the injured that were pulled from the firestorm remain alive. Of those, several are not expected to live much longer. Most of the serious burn victims died of shock within hours. The remaining injured are actually those who suffered hypothermia from the frigid water while they waited for the flames to subside enough to return to dry land.  
_  
 _Today is Thanksgiving here in the US, but no one is celebrating as far as I can see. Earlier in the day a helicopter hovered over the area, appearing to count the survivors. A bullhorn promised supplies as soon as possible, but that could still be days away. Some men were able to bring in some fish from Lake Michigan and a communal pot of fish stew was shared by all.  
_  
 _I'm going to take another turn trying to help scavenge what I can from the few buildings that still stand. These people need everything and they need it quickly if they are to survive the harsh winter weather. In a normal year, Chicago gets thirty inches of snow between November and March.  
_  
 _Wherever you are tonight, remember these people. But for the grace of God, it could be you or one of your loved ones struggling in this frigid air.  
_  
 _But, as bleak as things are, the human spirit of survival is still shining through. Several men and women are going around to make sure everyone has had a chance to eat something. Children have been brought to a central location and are being cared for by a retired teacher and her daughter who was a dental hygienist before the panflu. Other people are pulling unburned wood into a central area so anyone that needs fuel for their campfire can get it without too much trouble. A wash station has been cobbled together in an attempt to get the smell of smoke off of body and clothes, even if only temporarily. Items scavenged go to those who need it most, not necessarily to those who find it.  
_  
 _Maybe there isn't any outright partying going on, but most have refused to simply give up without a fight. Yes, as difficult as times are for this group of survivors, they are not sitting around waiting to be rescued. They are rescuing themselves, paving their own way for a better tomorrow.  
_  
 _I'll leave you here with a quote by Abraham Lincoln: "It is said an eastern monarch once charged his wise men to invent a sentence, to be ever in view, and which should be true and appropriate in all times and situations. They presented him with the words, 'And_ _ **this, too, shall pass away**_ _.' How much it expresses! How chastening in the hour of pride! How consoling in the depths of affliction!"_

 _I've got that quote stuck to the visor of my baseball cap, now much worse for wear than the day I bought it at the airport right before all the airline flights were cancelled. When I look up - more frequently now than was my previous habit - that quote is sometimes the only thing that keeps my feet moving and my mind at ease._

Good night from the staff and crew at WUSF. Our next regularly scheduled broadcast will begin at 5 A.M. tomorrow."


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter** _ **16**_

The next day dawns cool and clear; or at least it is considered cool for Florida. The highs are only going to be in the upper 60's. Last year, this would have been "Black Friday," the biggest shopping day of the year.

This reminds Scott and Sissy that Christmas is not that far away. They know Rose, James, and Sarah will understand that things are different this year, but they believe Bekah and Johnnie still need something to look forward to. Heck, with things being the way they are, they all need something to look forward to. Scott and Sissy agree that a family conference is in order. So, after morning chores are complete and the lunch dishes are put away, then everyone sits down to decide what to do about Christmas.

Scott opens the meeting by saying that he really enjoyed the day they had had together yesterday, and that even though it was different than what they normally did on Thanksgiving, he was grateful they were all together to celebrate. He also explains how they want to continue trying to celebrate traditional family events, including Christmas that is coming next month, even if things are different.

Sissy says, "You know why our family celebrates Christmas. You know all our traditions and why we have them. With the pandemic we are going to have to change some things we do, but it doesn't have to change everything."

Scott continues by saying, "Money is tight this year . . . " and Rose and James break in to say, "We don't need . . . " Scott holds up his hand to stop them. "Let me finish, OK? Money is tight this year and you all know how iffy the stores are. I've always appreciated the homemade gifts you guys have made me in years passed. This year Mom and I are going to follow your example. This year our family is going to celebrate a homemade Christmas."

Sissy, with a grin on her face, then asks, "What do you think we are having for dinner tonight?"

Rose and James are the first to get it and respond with questioning looks on their faces. Then Sarah's eyes get real big and she starts to smile. Then the Bekah hesitantly asks, "Sloppy joes?!" Everyone laughs, even Johnnie, though he doesn't know why. This is their family's traditional meal on decorating day.

Sissy laughs and says, "You got it!"

"But," the kids say, "we don't have a tree?"

"Remember, some things have to be a little different. I've already set the dough for the buns to rise. We still have several quarts of Sloppy Joe mix that I canned. Even though we don't have tater tots, we can have home fries made from canned potatoes. We've got plenty of cocoa and powdered apple cider mix, so that's OK. We won't be decorating outdoors but we can go hog wild inside. For the tree, I have an artificial one I got on clearance last year. It won't smell like a real tree, but I have a couple of pretty, pine-scented air fresheners we can hang on it."

The kids become very excited, even the two oldest, to find that while some things have to change not all the changes have to be painful. In a good mood, they are all eager to help pull the decorations out of storage from around the house. While the kids are making plans, some of them rather hilarious, Sissy finishes the laundry that was set to soak in yesterday's rainwater.

To get the laundry finished, Scott starts a low fire from coals he got at the empty lot where the neighborhood burns the garbage. Then he places a large galvanized tub – originally designed to be a water trough for horses – above the heat.

While the water comes to a boil, Sissy looks over the clothes to be washed, separating them and pre-treating any stains that hasn't loosened during soaking.

Most of the time Sissy tries to do laundry when the power is on. She missed her chance yesterday because everyone was focused on other things. Unfortunately, it looks like they will be doing most of the laundry by hand from now on. Scott recently noticed that even when the power is on they don't seem to be getting all the voltage into the house they are supposed to. None of the 220 appliances want to work . . . stove, microwave and dryer, as well as the central heat and air. The well pump still works, but barely and it seems to struggle when it does come on.

At first Scott thought they had a major electrical issue someplace between their panel boxes and the transformer at the street. But when other people in the neighborhood start saying the same thing, he realizes that TECO (their electric provider) has either started rationing power or there is a delayed maintenance issue on one of the lines that serve their neighborhood.

The washing machine works because it doesn't require 220, but trying to run it really causes the well pump to pitch a fit. It is just wiser to save the well for drinking water to prevent it from totally giving out and really leaving them up the creek. Scott isn't sure if he can get another pump if the one they have burns out.

Sissy knows that cooking will be a greater challenge as well. Luckily they are prepared for this eventuality. Scott found a nice toaster oven abandoned at one of the rental properties about two months into the pandemic. It now sits on top of their stove to replace the oven. It is big enough to bake bread in, as long as the loaves are small. When the power is on they use the toaster oven. When the power is off they use their camp stove and other alternative methods like the box oven Sissy cooked in yesterday; or they do without.

As for today, with the power still off, Sissy has the reflector oven out by the wash-water fire. The reflector oven is homemade, but works really well. They found the plans for it from a website called prepandemic and Scott and their kids had fun building it. The buns for the Sloppy Joes will bake as she does the laundry, making the fuel for the fire go further by serving two purposes simultaneously.

As Scott and Sissy work through the laundry - the job is simply too big for one person - they wonder about the people they haven't heard from or about recently.

"Did you ever finish that letter you were writing to your cousin in Virginia?"

"Just finished it last night before we went to bed. Why, have you heard whether the mail is expected to run today or tomorrow?"

"No, you know they can't promise when home pick up and deliveries will occur, just that they will occur at least bi-weekly. But I'm going out tomorrow and if you have it, I'll drop it off with a few other things that need to go to the post office directly."

"OK. I hope they are still taking regular stamps 'cause that is all we have left."

"They'll take them, but you have to get the inspection stamp added before it will be shipped out. And nothing is shipped out without that stamp on it. Postal workers won't touch it with a ten foot pole otherwise."

"Lovely. But I guess they are just trying to keep the system up and running. Thank goodness we still have access to online banking or I don't know how we would get all these bills where they need to go in a timely manner."

"Yeah. Did you know we actually got a thank you email from the mortgage company and an offer to discount the loan if we continued making full payments?"

"You're kidding me. Are you going to take the offer?"

"I'm going to run the numbers and see how it pans out, but I might just. Depends on how much they are willing to discount the loan and whether the agreement is permanent or affected by the moratorium in effect. I don't want to be caught up in a legal battle after all of this is over with."

After Sissy and Scott finished the laundry and had it all hung to dry, Sissy re-read the letter she had written then sealed and stamped it for Scott to take.

* * *

 _Dear Cuz,_

 _Oh yes indeed, it was so good to hear from you. I'm always worried that when the power goes off for more than 2 or 3 days straight that I'll miss an important family communication or that my email will start bouncing and people will stop trying to reach us._

 _I'm glad to hear that your officials are doing right by your state. That turkey business made news around here. I have to say though that I might have been too scared to eat 'em. Silly, I know . . . I sure would have been second guessing myself where the kids were concerned._

 _With our coasts so vulnerable we've had the worst experience with refugees from all over the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America. As bad as it is to hear that another makeshift boat of dead bodies has washed ashore, its somehow worse when some live passengers remain because they are almost always ill and if not caught and quarantined immediately, invariably cause a jump in infections where they have come ashore._

 _So I guess, no matter how badly some folks talk 'em down, our officials are definitely earning their oats, so to speak. There just aren't any easy fixes this time around._

 _I was so sorry to hear about your Uncle Jake. It seems there is just so much sorrow in the world right now; too much for some to bear. You can never tell what will break some folks. Hopefully his family will find some comfort in his posthumous recognition. I hope some of his young assistants will try to continue his work. That would be a true recognition of his worth._

 _Your story brought to mind the fate of a man that our family attended church with. He was married to a fine woman, a nurse. In recent years she participated in several medical mission trips and she said she got more pleasure from that than her administrative position out at that fancy private hospital she worked for. A couple of weeks before the start of the pandemic she went off again with a group to Haiti. There was, I believe, twelve of them all together. They were being recalled to the States in those first frantic days when efficient human-to-human transmission was recognized but the only flight they could get was out of the Dominican Republic. From what I understand, the officials in Santo Domingo conscripted them right off the plane to work in the hospitals there. That's the last anyone has heard from them. For weeks her husband called and called; emailed every official imaginable. He sent prayer requests out begging us on the prayer chain not to forget her. Even without seeing him or hearing his voice, you could tell he was on the ragged edges of control._

 _Last weekend word came that he had died of a massive stroke, he wasn't even 48 years old. His adult daughter said that she believed her parents were back together and that the younger two sons that were still living at home were going to go live with her. Such heart break._

 _Perhaps if you've a mind to, you will also keep my cousin in your thoughts. You will remember him from the family reunion. He was the one that worked for that big ethanol plant in took a private consulting job setting up the same type of plant over in Baghdad. He was on one of the last US transports out of the city and spoke to my uncle just before take off to let him know he was OK and no one was sick. Then my uncle received a voice mail confirming that he had made it to Germany and would be stateside by the following morning, but didn't know the flight number or where they would land. Somehow he sent a short text message when they were airborne and that he would send word on how he would be getting the rest of the way home. But, it has been over two months and still no word. As you can imagine my uncle is beside himself; and, to make matters worse, they had quarreled. Uncle had called him every kind of fool for taking the job in the first place, no paycheck was worth that kind of risk. I don't think they had quite finished making up yet._

 _Our winter garden is doing grand. We opted to grow everything in containers, and thank goodness for that. Every night we take the dolly and trundle everything inside. In the morning, after I harvest anything ripe, it all goes back out. My lands it is a lot of work, but hubby can't stay up all night guarding things and then work all the next day too. The garden pirates – vermin of both the animal and human varieties – have gotten just horrible around here. We haven't lost anything more, excepts maybe a bucket or two of pool water since we started carting things in and out. I know all that work sounds kinda crazy, but I'd rather be crazy than see my husband and kids get any thinner. My husband is already as thin as when we were married twenty years ago. Its not like he and I didn't need to lose a few pounds, but this is not the way I had ever envisioned doing it._

 _On a brighter note, you should see the inside of our house. It looks like a cross between St. Nick's workshop and greenhouse and every cheesy Christmas show ever made. LOL! We dare not decorate outdoors, it would draw too much attention even though some folks in the neighborhood have. I did give the kids have free reign inside so long as nothing was a fire, tripping, or hanging hazard. They took me at my word and all I can say is "oh my!"_

 _It does us all good to have something to look forward to. Something nice to mark the days on the calendar. I don't like to brag of our plenty when so many have less than nothing, but I feel pretty close to doing so when I inventory our remaining preps . . . still plentiful in most areas . . . and those Christmas tubs I scrimped and saved for so we'd have some special things "just in case." Even Scott thought I was going too far at that point. But the other day he gave me a big hug and kiss and said thanks for ignoring everyone who thought you were crazy, including me._

 _Take care. Its bound to be cold there now. Last thing you need is to come down sick with a chill, or worse._

 _Your Florida Cousins._


	18. Chapter 17

_**Chapter 17**_

With Thanksgiving behind them, and Christmas ahead, Scott, Sissy and their kids settle into a steady schedule of inside and outside chores to meet the physical challenges of the pandemic.

With the cool – but not yet cold – weather, Sissy is anxious to give the whole house a good airing and disinfecting. Each day the whole family comes together to clean and reorganize a single room. They start with Johnnie's room and then go on to the rest of the bedrooms. Beds and bedding get a thorough washing. Mattresses and pillows are aired out and disinfected. The walls and ceilings are dusted and scrubbed down. All the toys and clothes are gone through and anything outgrown goes into the Barter Box – the plastic tub of items that Scott hauls over to the empty lot on market days. Each day sees Sissy moving them busily down the "To Do" list. With the whole family working together, the house is soon sparkling and fresh despite several rooms having been taken over as indoor shed and nighttime greenhouse.

Scott has decided to venture to their rental properties only twice during the month of December; once on the fifth and once on the 15th. On the first he comes back with only enough cash for two more fill ups of his gas tank and with some ingenious items bartered for rent. He gets two bushels of sour oranges that are barely ripe, a bucket of earthworms, a bushel of mixed greens, and some commodities that their tenants received but were unable or unwilling to eat.

The sour oranges cannot be eaten alone, but their juice makes a wonderful marinade for their canned meats or salad dressing for fresh greens. The thick orange peel Sissy soaks and then candies as a treat for Christmas. The seeds she sets aside to cure and then plant after the beginning of the year. She thinks, "Who knows if those seeds will germinate, but if they do they could make a good barter item."

The wigglers are used as the first tenants in the kids' new worm farm. They are far from being the pet the kids had been asking for last summer, but at least they don't have to worry about them catching the panflu and being culled. The worm casings will also enrich the compost pile the kids are responsible for maintaining.

The mixed greens are very thoroughly cleaned. There is no sense in avoiding panflu to die of salmonella or some other food borne illness. Some of the greens are dried for later use. A few bundles of the greens look enough like spinach that Sissy cans them with high hopes. No one complains of having to eat greens three meals a day, but Bekah keeps checking her ears to see if she is turning part rabbit. She is turning into quite the little clown and even showed up to the dinner table with a pink nose and painted on whiskers. She certainly had Johnnie laughing all through dinner.

The commodities though are the biggest surprise. They are unexpected but very welcome on the pantry shelves. Granted some of the items are culturally different from what most of their tenants normally eat, but what they consider so worthless is amazing. There are canned beets and canned German potato salad and several large boxes of raisins – a little dry, but salvageable. There are a couple of tubs of couscous and one commercial sized tub of old-fashioned oats. There are two packages of dried fruit bits and one of prunes. Most shocking of all, there is twenty pounds of lentils. Apparently some people will risk starvation rather than learn to eat different than what they are used to. But the family refuses to look a gift horse in the mouth, and tucks their "income" away as carefully as if they had received cash and were depositing it into a bank.

In addition to all the work indoors, Scott makes a list of chores to do outside. They gather fallen limbs, cut them into appropriate lengths and set them to season just in case they are reduced to burning wood for cooking or warmth. Even though the grass has finally stopped growing until Spring - they had been cutting it with a scythe - there are still leaves and other things to be picked up and put into the compost bin. The two grapefruit trees are carefully monitored for the first signs of ripeness. Water is gathered from the infrequent rainfall and is strained, filtered, and purified for storage. Garbage is dealt with and everything that can be is recycled.

One such recycling project is that the kids are flattening a lot of the empty vegetable cans to make outdoor burglar alarms. So far they have managed to give two raccoons and one opossum heart attacks, but human thieves are proving to be a little more clever.

The biggest challenge by far though, at least in terms of Sissy's nerves, is their mobile garden and edible landscaping. They have planted several barrels of bush beans – garbanzo (aka chickpeas), black beans, pintos, kidney beans, great northern, etc. They only planted a small container of beets so the canned beets they took in at the beginning of December are welcome. They have a tub of broccoli that is looking promising. Carrots are growing happily in deep window boxes. They have bush cucumbers in several large, decorative planters. There is cut and come again greens that they are harvesting at the rate of several family sized salads per week. The greens are growing in flats Scott built out of untreated lumber.

They have hidden the vines of poles beans on a couple of denuded pecan saplings. To the casual observer they look more like weedy potato vines because the beans are all picked as soon as they are large enough. The vines have been producing since mid-October and now, in December, the last raggedy beans are being picked and the vines themselves are dying back and ready to throw onto the compost pile. They have managed to hide a few other plants amongst their normal landscaping as well. There is burdock, cabbage, celtuce, collards, garlic, salsify, and turnips.

In addition to the pole beans, October saw a harvest of cherry and plum tomatoes. The cherry tomatoes were grown in hanging planters and are about finished. The plum tomatoes were turned into sauce and canned before October breathed its last. October also saw a small harvest of garden huckleberries and husk tomatoes (aka ground cherries).

The rest of their plants are not ready for harvest yet, but just looking at them brings a lot of satisfaction. Even if the harvest is not great, it will supplement their prep pantry and help to stretch it further. But Sissy keeps worrying that she is either doing too little or too much to the plants. They can't afford many losses.

Scott keeps up with neighborhood news every market day. At the last one, he is shocked to hear that four houses that are three streets over from their neighborhood enclave are infected with pandemic flu. These four homes banded together in a tight knit group for protection and all had somehow managed to get on the rather exclusive list for receiving commodity deliveries. These homes opted for a strict SIP, even going so far as to build enclosed breezeways between the homes and putting up signs warning unauthorized visitors they would be forcibly turned away and that intruders would be shot. The residents of those houses were almost religiously zealous in their determination not to allow any outside contact for the duration of the pandemic. For these reasons it is believed by most in the neighborhood that it must have been the commodity deliveries that resulted in infection – either the commodity delivery person was infected, the commodity goods were contaminated. It didn't really matter so much how they got infected, but the fact that they were infected was worrying.

In one of the homes a six-month old baby has already died. The houses are surrounded with the bright yellow biohazard tape the local Public Health people are using to mark homes under forced quarantine. Apparently the mother of the infant was so hysterical when the baby was taken away that she was ripping at the PPE of the Coroner's staff. She had to be sedated in the interest of her safety and everyone else's. What is really frightening though is that she was apparently heard threatening to infect every child in the neighborhood in retaliation for her own baby's death. A couple of people even claim to have seen her wandering the streets at night looking in at windows.

Scott is inclined to put that last bit down to a boogey-man type gossip except Sissy did mention thinking that she saw someone flitting up and down the street just last night. It could have been a Garden Pirate, a kid breaking curfew, or a thief casing the neighborhood. It could have been anyone, even something innocent, but their family now lives by the motto, "better safe than sorry."

Rumor or gossip, Scott gets James to help him reinforce some of their security measures, especially in the bedrooms. Scott replaces most of the panes of glass with plexi-glass he has left over from a building renovation. The only window he isn't able to change out is too high to climb into without a ladder anyway. On that window's outside sill he uses epoxy to glue down carpet strips. If someone tries to jump and grab the sill, they will be in for a painful surprise. Sissy will recycle the glass panes by building cold frames in January.

Also, Scott starts wearing more PPE when he goes to the market, at least until the quarantine is lifted on those houses and they are sure that there are no active infections on their road. He has only been wearing a mask, but now he is back to using surgical gloves under gardening gloves (to make the medical ones less conspicuous) and wearing safety goggles over his glasses.

Scott and Sissy don't really need to trade for anything. Their preps are holding up just fine though Sissy would have given a lot to have stored more individual packets of quick rise yeast. The bottles of yeast were more economical when she had been stocking up, but she is never sure whether she will be able to use a bottle all up before it goes bad. In reality, going to the market at the empty lot is more of a way to get news and to stay plugged in with the neighbors than it is a way of filling holes in their pantry.

They try and look like everyone else. They don't use their preps for trading. When people start talking about their circumstances, they keep quiet about theirs. They don't want to stand out. That would cause too many questions Scott and Sissy don't want to answer. And the questions left unanswered could lead others to get nosey – perhaps forcibly – until they get the answers they seek. And they have lost weight just like everyone else, just not as much as some of the people on their road.

"Hello Scott. Trading today?"

"Hello Mr. Jones. Actually I heard that the Connors were looking for a pair of shoes for their little boy. I have a pair that Johnnie outgrew and I thought I'd see if they were the right size. If they are, hopefully we can reach a deal."

"Well, here is Paul Connor now, but I have to tell you, in my opinion the guy is a scut. He'll take you for everything he can and wait for ever to pay you what you're owed."

"Sounds like experience talking."

"Yeah. His wife is good enough but both of them could do more to make their kids' lives better. Mrs. Cleary and I were working over in the garden when Buelah Connor came over begging … begging … for scraps 'cause her kids were hungry. This after they had been offered a share in the greens if they would come help weed a row. But they turned that down. Cleary gave her one head of greens but I was just about to spit nails. Those people are white trash."

"Well, looks like maybe his boy doesn't need shoes so bad after all. Looks like he is trying to trade with Bob Grinder for that partial bottle of Jack Daniels."

"Like I said, white trash. How are you folks doing?"

"We're doing OK. Garden is keeping us fed."

"With that big family you've got that must be one heck of a garden."

"Its gets us through and that's all anyone absolutely needs."

"Suppose your right. You must be paying an arm and a leg for fuel since your van is still running."

"For a fact it is getting expensive. But, I've got business responsibilities. Its not like I can just decide not to go manage properties. I've got to keep up with things somehow. I'm not going out any more than I absolutely have to though."

"You going to try and trade anything else? You and Sissy don't seem to trade that much."

"We've got a tub of stuff that the kids have outgrown but I hate to lug it out every time I come over here. Its better just to listen to what people are looking for and then see if I've got it and find out what they are willing to trade for it. What are you trading for today?"

"I'm looking for a whet stone but most of the people here don't even seem to know what I'm talking about. I've tried using my big metal file, but I really need a stone to but an edge on my machete and my other garden knives; they are getting pretty dull."

"Well, I just so happen to have a whet stone, but not for trade. But I'll lend it to you so long as you don't lend it to anyone else."

"What'll you take for the use?"

"Nothing, consider it a favor."

"Son, I can't just do that. It'll set a bad precedent here in the neighborhood. Beside, I may be an old man but I'm no charity case."

"Aw, come on Mr. Jones. That's not what I meant. If you want to do something though, I'd appreciate it if you would keep an eye on the house when I'm away and you are working in the garden. The other day when I was gone, Sissy was working outside and she said she swore it felt like someone was spying on her. She said it was really creepy."

"Now that don't sound good."

"No and it was broad daylight. I trust her instincts though. We've had quite a few strangers walking through lately, using it as a short cut to get to Livingston Avenue. Stranger or neighbor, someone bold enough to track Sissy's movements during the daytime, and make it on a day I'm not home, might decide to come back and see what else he can do."

"I'll surely keep an eye out. And if you don't mind, I'll pass the word up and down the street. More eyes we have tracking strangers the better."

"Fine by me. I'll go get that stone for you now."


	19. Chapter 18

_**Chapter 18**_

Just because there is a terrible pandemic going on the people of Tampa are apparently not going to be exempt from the impractical application of bureaucratic mandates. The most recent example of this started when some of the few remaining grocery stores complained that they were losing significant profits to the neighborhood markets that have sprung up all over. The grocers said that these profits could make the difference between keeping their doors open or closing them permanently. The grocery store chains noted in their complaint that these markets violated a lot of county health codes and also that the "vendors" were not licensed and that the county "had a duty" to enforce the laws on the books. Basically the grocery store owners were using the municipal bureaucracy as a weapon to ensure their continued monopoly.

The County Code Enforcement department over-reacted to criticism levied against them by the County Board of Commissioners (to whom the original complaint was made). This over-reaction took the form of dozens of citations being delivered around the county telling the vendors at the markets that they would have to disband or face prosecution, per local statutes. Code Enforcement even tries citing property owners, even though many of the property owners have no idea the markets or vendors were operating on their property. Most of these markets are located on public spaces such as community parks, making the citations even more senseless.

With everyone summarily ignoring their citations and threats of fines, Code Enforcement made what turns out to be a deadly mistake. They abuse their power and arrive in large number – and armed – to physically disburse one of the larger such markets operating a couple of miles south of downtown. By law, Code Enforcement Officers are supposed to utilize law enforcement officers when they attempt to evict or trespass individuals. Side arms are not even part of their uniform. But at the beginning of the pandemic, many county workers were deputized in an effort to deal with absenteeism within other city and county departments. When the dust clears every code enforcement officer who had been part of the debacle is dead or dying along with six civilians. There are also twenty-seven individuals who need emergency medical care to some degree.

Because of this incident, the county goes from being stressed-but-stable to being ready to implode all in less than 24 hours. Word spread quickly, by word of mouth and via some of the news outlets who reported the incident. People, already furious at theie local governments for doing so little to promote prepping during the prepandemic period, are aching for a fight and already a few incidences of bottle and rock throwing have taken place. Unexpectedly, a General from out at MacDill AFB steps into the breach, and working in conjunction with National Guard commanders, strategically stations heavily armed troops throughout the most vulnerable areas of the county. He then gathers the remaining County Board Members and City Council members together, holds them in the downtown Court House, and all but forces them do a quick – and publicly aired – investigation.

Despite the area being canvassed for witnesses, the only ones who come forward are those that say that the only guns they saw were in the hands of the Code Enforcement officers. No other gunmen or guns are ever found.

The final determination - which amazingly only took three days after Commissioners and Council members were told that they were being "housed downtown for the duration of the incident for the sake of security" - was that Code Enforcement officers overstepped their authority. That they failed to provide proper notification and allow for due process. They unnecessarily antagonized people by showing their weapons. And, that while they applied for extra protection, they did not wait until local law enforcement could arrange it. The investigation further shows to the public that the upper bureaucratic echelon that ordered the "crack down" refuses to back down from their view that they are in the right, appearing terribly arrogant and inflexible. A common response is that they "were just doing their job."

The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) and Tampa City Council quickly remove the CCE supervisors from their positions. They also amend county and city codes to allow for the neighborhood markets to continue unmolested for the duration of the pandemic so long as they remain peaceful, are not selling any illegal goods, and are not an obvious source of infection.

The result is an extremely deteriorated relationship between the public and local bureaucracy. Anyone working for the city or county at any level is viewed with suspicion. Some are even harassed by their neighbors. Local law enforcement has fewer friends in the community and incidences of vigilante justice slowly start to rise because of lack of confidence in the due process system.

One Desk Sergeant is heard to complain, "Wonderful. As if our jobs aren't already beyond difficult! All of this because some pencil pushing desk jockeys where so arrogant to forget that their job was to be servants of the public, not to ride roughshod over them. Don't forget to properly secure your bullet-proof vests people."

Despite localized unrest, the general public in Hillsborough County continues to limp along as best they can. The medical facilities in the area also continue to struggle to keep their heads above water. First and foremost there is an extremely high rate of attrition in trained staff. Despite some PPE for nurses and doctors a 30% AR (number of people infected) for health care workers results. Another 30 percent of health care workers are lost with the cause split evenly between absenteeism and abandonment. Absenteeism is being defined as not coming in to work because of your illness, or the illness of a family member, but with plans to return to your position after quarantine. Abandonment is being defined as someone simply refusing to come to work, resulting in job termination.

For those staff members who are terminated, benefits immediately cease. Lawyers for the hospitals examine whether they can release the hospitals from any retirement package obligations on the grounds that employees who abandon their positions are breaking their "duty to perform" clauses in their contracts. A few union reps are already having a field day with this. Surprisingly however, the general public seems to be siding with the lawyers on this one, at least thus far. There is a perception, rightly or wrongly, that certain people who are in certain positions have a greater responsibility – or duty – to perform their job, regardless of circumstances or dangers. This includes people in the military, National Guardsmen, law enforcement officers, first responders like firemen and ambulance drivers, and not least of all health care workers. Individual contracts also come into play. If there are "turpitude" clauses in the contracts with open ended consequences, the likelihood of loss of job and benefits are even higher.

No hospital can operate with only 40 percent of their staff. What's more, this 40 percent includes all hospital staff, not just medically trained staff members.

In Tampa there are approximately eleven actual hospitals. Of those eleven one is a cancer hospital, one is a VA hospital, one is a children's orthopedic hospital (Shriner's), and two are acute long-term care facilities. That leaves six hospitals that are fully designed as general medical and surgical procedures. Even if you do not take out the five specialty hospitals, there are only a total of about 3,300 actual hospital beds to serve a population of over one million in the county.

Continuing with this exercise we see that Tampa General Hospital (TGH) with 877 beds is the largest public hospital in the county and second only to St. Joseph's private hospital in the number of beds (883). TGH employs 1011 full-time registered nurses and 339 part time registered nurses, 50 full-time LPNs and 17 part-time LPNs, and a total of 4,123 full-time facility personnel and 715 part-time facility personnel. It quickly becomes evident that there is not enough staff to man all of the duties necessary to face an influx of pandemic patients. Roughly 725 facility personnel immediately abandoned their positions in the earliest days of the pandemic. At least that number are forced into quarantine when family members become ill. That leaves 3,388 and despite all efforts to the contrary another 1,000 have succumb to the panflu. This number is expected to rise before the end of the pandemic. The absenteeism rate is increasing as well and the remaining staff struggle with fatigue and mental and emotional issues.

To try and address the staffing shortage, people are being moved from administrative positions to medical support positions. Medically trained staff that formerly worked at local doctor's offices and medical testing facilities are being offered bonuses such as free meals, PPE, and fuel, in addition to a salary, to come work in their specialty's equivalent at the hospitals; pediatrics, sonography, extended care, respiratory care, etc.

Not all cities have such a large number and variety of medical facilities. But Tampa, because of its population make up, large number of hospitals, large number of medical research facilities (such as those at USF), and large VA hospital has a high number of trained medical staff in the area. The College of Medicine and the College of Nursing at USF contribute numbers to the re-staffing. And, the first responder program from HCC is helping to re-staff the fire departments and paramedic fields more quickly than is found in many other metropolitan areas.

Between the mitigation procedures implemented by the state of Florida at the start of the pandemic and the large numbers of public and private medical facilities, only once are area hospitals forced to treat critically ill patients out of doors for any extended period of time. The tents still stand, however, as a testament to the possibility of it happening again.

Stringent medical triage has also helped. Non-pandemic flu patients are not even allowed on the hospital grounds. Armed guards redirect people to neighborhood medical clinics. In these clinics, the "waiting room" is located out of doors. With no heat or air conditioning, no door to door public transportation to these locations, and very limited seating, few people go unless they absolutely need to.

Ambulance service in Hillsborough County has been greatly curtailed due to lack of fuel. Currently only traffic accidents get ambulance service, and most of the time it is so long getting there that casualty rates have greatly increased. Few ambulance services, all privatized over the last decade or so, will even go to someone's home any longer. Ambulances have been attacked for their medical supplies, carjacked for their fuel, and commandeered by people desperate to get help for family members. This means that many heart attacks and strokes are automatically triaged and considered fatal, as are collapses due to many other chronic health conditions such as diabetes, emphysema, lupus, and epilepsy. Even asthma is turning unexpectedly deadly.

For those panflu patients that do make it to the hospital, if a patient comes in already needing ventilation, they are put in a terminal care ward where they are given comfort measures only. With too few ventilators to go around, only those patients with a likelihood of recovery are put on vents. The problem with this logic is that, if a patient gets so sick they need a ventilator, they rarely survive the infection. The vents do little but prolong the inevitable, and raise false hopes.

While it may seem grotesque to just assume someone is going to die if they need a ventilator, statistically it has been a medically provable fact since the prepandemic days back in Indonesia and Egypt.

Hospital wards are divided along similar lines to what they have traditionally been. There is pediatrics, geriatrics, and everything in between. One notable difference is that all obstetric cases are transferred to St. Joseph's Women's Hospital. Unfortunately, women who are pregnant and sick with panflu have a low recovery rate, certainly many of them miscarry or have stillbirths. The NICU units are strangely empty. Most small children and babies die fairly quickly once they become infected, sometimes within hours of becoming symptomatic because of high temperature spikes resulting in seizures, and quick organ shutdown.

Most pregnant women are urged to deliver at home if at all possible. But due to the lack of prenatal care since the start of the pandemic, many problems are not detected until too late. This, in addition to panflu itself, has caused a sharp rise in infant and mother mortality. Further complicating this is the "new norm" of the last decade of pregnancies in mothers of advanced maternal age and in other high-risk pregnancies. Pre-eclampsia, hemorrhaging, and uterine ruptures are the three largest at-home-birth complications causing death. Public service announcements are made daily urging the use of some type of birth control method until the pandemic can be brought under control. Unfortunately, birth control medications and devices are in short supply and midwives and women's groups have begun to disseminate information on natural, though less statistically reliable compared to artificial forms of birth control.

With the pandemic four months old, the hospitals are depleting all sources of disposable PPE. They've already been reduced to sterilization and re-use of formerly disposable items like syringes. Bedding was even becoming a problem until someone suggested contracting with local hotels and convention centers with large laundry facilities.

TECO, the local electricity provider, has made power to hospitals a top priority. Even though the hospitals rarely lose power because they are on separate circuits from residential areas, each time they do, they lose most of their vented patients. There is simply not enough trained staff to vent any number of patients by hand for hours on end. Despite these astronomical trials to overcome, the hospitals in Hillsborough County are staying afloat. Many other places are not.

The medical facilities in the greater New Orleans, Louisiana area had not fully recovered from the damage inflicted by hurricane Katrina; not in the staffing nor in the building renovations. The influx of panflu patients overwhelmed every facility that remained open within days. The CFR in New Orleans is one of the highest in the US, to date. The stench from New Orleans is so bad that it can be smelled on the other side of Lake Ponchatrain. Most of the hospitals along the Gulf Coast including in places like Biloxi, Mississippi and Mobile, Alabama have failed.

Hospitals along the southern borders of the US dealt with so many illegal aliens seeking medical treatment that most of them collapsed within a couple of weeks when they ran out of supplies. Segments of the populations in these towns are now so fanatically furious that law enforcement finds many people, obviously of Hispanic descent, dead along the US/Mexico border every morning where vigilantes have been "patrolling." And truthfully, most law enforcement departments are now so understaffed that stopping these "patrols" is on the very bottom of their "To Do" list. Neither do the law enforcement departments want to tangle with the extremely violent Mexican gangs to whom the sanctity of life means nothing. The deputies have enough problems without going out of their way to acquire more.

Hospitals on the northern borders of the US are fairing slightly better as the borders there are historically less contentious.

Most of the US megalopolises – like Dallas/Ft. Worth, Atlanta, and Phoenix – have hospitals surrounded by tent cities full of panflu patients. The picture in such places is a grim one, with little time for "good bedside manner." Staff are reduced to the state of automaton. They process each new case as best they can and try to stay objective. They see too many of their coworkers having emotional and mental breakdowns. Several hospitals in Los Angeles and New York City are nothing more than burned out shells when rioters seek an object on which to vent their fear and anger.

The remaining medical facilities in the interior of the US range from the quasi-stability found in Tampa to just this side of total collapse. When the Federal government surveyed all the hospitals, they were at first relieved when so few appeared permanently collapsed. Relieved that is until it is realized that the reason there are fewer was because there are simply fewer hospitals. After factoring out all of the hospitals that have closed their doors in small town American during the prepandemic years, the country's medical community is much closer to catastrophic failure than was originally realized.

With the weight of the federal government now behind manufacturing and distributing basic hospital supplies, some administrators are breathing a sigh of relief. But relief will be short-lived. As with the 1918 Spanish Flu, the second wave of infections is expected to be even larger than the first one.

Between the scare of anarchy in the streets and fear that panflu will escape quarantine just a few streets away from their home, December has been a tense month for Scott and Sissy. There have been good things of course. There always are if you are willing to look hard enough for them. The garden is thriving despite all expectations to the contrary. The weather has cooled down enough to make things more comfortable. No one is freezing like they are in the northern states. There are the unexpected additions to their pantry from bartering.

Another good thing that occurs is that Scott gets a partner to ride shotgun when he goes to the apartments. The man is someone in the neighborhood that the family had never met, but knew by sight. Scott and the man, who is named Barry, finally introduce themselves over a burning pile of trash between market days. Barry is retired USAF with nearly 30 years under his belt. He would have stayed in the entire 30 he said except that a sniper shattered his leg outside of Tikrit during the early days of the Second Gulf War. "They saved the leg obviously, but it is wrecked pretty good. I was one of the lucky ones though, all I have left are memories, a few scars, and a limp on cold days."

Barry is on his second marriage, living in a 3 bedroom ranch-style house at the end of a cul-de-sac. He has three grown sons from his first marriage. One son was last known to be living out in California and into "all kinds of crap that should have killed him years ago." The other two turned out "pretty good." One son, still single, was at school at MIT when the pandemic started and is working with some "techno geeks" up there trying to keep the university's mainframes up and running. The third son is a Sheriff in Pasco County (just north of Hillsborough). That son is married with three kids, all girls.

"As soon as things started to rock and roll, Barry Jr. sent his wife and kids to live with us. He comes by every couple of weeks, but he mostly lives at the substation they put in at US41 and SR52. Thank God for my wife and daughter-in-law 'cause I know jack about raising little girls. Give me GI Joe over Barbie any day. My son brings what money and food he can, when he can. Lord, those girls cry so hard when he has to leave again, it takes a couple o' days to settle them back down. But I tell you that my retirement and disability pay ain't gonna cover all these extra mouths for long. I gave up trying to get to the Base Commissary at MacDill. Doubt if they even let any but active service personnel on the base now anyway. And, I hate like sin to go try and get on commodities when there are plenty of folks worse off than we are."

After talking things over with Sissy, Scott approaches Barry with his proposition. Scott will give him twenty-five percent of what they collect if he will ride shotgun on Scott's rent collection runs. If they see any action, such as an attempted carjacking or robbery, they will split things 50 – 50. Barry asked if he could try it once before absolutely committing himself; and so it was agreed.

On the 15th of the month, the two men head out. Of those who remain at home, one wife is more relieved than she had been and the other move anxious. When the men return in the afternoon, they both are pleased enough with the arrangement that they have already scheduled the next run for January 5th.

"So, what'd you think? Is this something you think you are interested in continuing?"

"Shoot yeah. Wasn't exactly what I was expecting, but you've definitely got a workable system going. But I'm surprised you ain't had any trouble yet. Some of those folks ain't what I'd call the stable type."

Scott laughs, "There are a few that I've started having trouble with but nothing too overt. To be honest some of them aren't that different than they were prepandemic. People generally live in those areas for three main reasons: (1) its all they've ver known and they have no desire to live any other way; (2) it's a step up from where they actually came from; or (3) their life choices leave them stranded with no alternatives."

"Sounds like you've given this some thought."

"I've been doing this for over 12 years. I learned early and hard that the only way to be successful in this business is to learn to discern which of the three categories a tenant falls into. Each one needs a slightly different approach to have a good landlord/tenant relationship. I've learned to listen to my instincts and they rarely lead me wrong."

"So why, if you don't mind my asking, do you want a partner if you've not had any problems?"

"Instincts again. And I didn't say I hadn't had any problems, just that it hasn't been bad. I'm only one man and I have a feeling things aren't as bad as they're gonna get. One of these days my luck could change. My family needs me too much to take stupid chances. When I first went into business, one of the smartest things I did was take the advice of and learn from an old guy I hired to do a log of the maintenance work. I learned more from Mr. Morgan in the two years before his death that I ever could have in a classroom teaching the same subject. Now I see that I'm missing other skills. You've got the training and know how I don't. I need the help and I'm willing to learn. And I'm willing to pay for the privilege."

"Well, if you're open to suggestions, I do have some that should help with security. We should definitely work on a couple of 'em before we head out again. I know I'd feel better."

Scott and Barry discuss the proposed modifications while they divide up the day's "income."

This run is even better than the last, despite the cash brought in being less. Now that it is known that rental payments can be made to barter goods, people have been coming up to Scott at every stop he makes asking if he has any vacancies. He is sure he is going to be able to fill the vacant units he has. He just wonders how he is going to word the leases and issue receipts for barter goods . . . and how on Earth will he track something like this for tax purposes, of if that should even be a consideration at this point?

This run they bring in the following items: 4 bushels of mixed oranges, half a bushel of lemons, a bushel of mixed greens, and a small bag of limes; 6 light bulbs and two roles of metal chicken fencing; one tub of oats and 6 boxes of instant grits; 2 car batteries, 6 sparkplugs, and five gallons of gas (no telling where that came from); two sheets of plywood, some PVC pipe, and a coffee can of self-tapping screws; and a brand new color printer still in the original and unopened packaging. The most unusual thing however is two fifty-pound bags of dried corn that probably came from a feed store at some point.

Barry and Scott work out a system where they will drive into Barry's garage, unload his share so that he won't be seen carrying it through the street. When they are done there, Scott will head home and unload his part after dark since they don't have a garage. The biggest pain turns out to be dividing the corn. One of the bags split and they had a mess. Barry did a little bit of cussing because every time he tried to lift the bag, the tear only got worse. Next time Scott will bring a couple of big pails and Barry will bring a couple of plastic tubs.

When Barry asks what Scott is going to do with his share of the corn he said, "My wife'll think of something." And actually she does.

What Sissy comes up with is corn nuts. Corn nuts are similar to the parched corn that Native Americans and pioneers ate. While parched corn is traditionally made by putting dried corn on hot rocks or in hot coals. You can also make parched corn by simply covering the bottom of a greaseless frying pan with dried corn and stirring until the kernels are uniformly brown. Corn nuts are a little different from parched corn, and a lot of people think they are tastier.

As a sample batch, Sissy uses one-cup of the whole dried corn kernels and soaks the kernels in two cups of water for three days. She then pours off the water and pats the kernels dry with a towel. Next, she heats up some grease for deep-frying (bacon grease, lard, or vegetable oil can be used). When it is so hot a drop of water sputters on its top, she lowers a heaping tablespoon of kernels into the middle of the grease. The grease begins to boil violently so she has to be careful as she is doing this over the flame of the camp stove.

At first the kernels sink to the bottom. Then they rise to the surface as their moisture departs. When the kernels float to the surface, she watches until they turn copper brown. The kernels need to be crunchy, not chewy. Sissy puts the fried kernels on a screen to drain and then sprinkles them with a little bit of salt. She continues this until she uses all the prepared kernels.

Sissy read in one of her cookbooks that you can also deep fry soybeans. They are supposed to be tasty, but not as much as corn nuts. Soybeans only need to soak overnight. Also, they cook in a shorter time and are lighter than copper brown and do not become exactly crunchy; something between chewy and crunchy. She might try this another time as she hasn't been quite sure what she was going to do with the 20 pounds of dried soybeans that she stockpiled after it turns out no one really cares for their taste.

Sissy isn't alone in her quest for ingenious ways to feed her family. Many people have rediscovered the art of pioneer and Native American cooking. An exceptionally good example of this is how Sissy's cousin managed to feed their group of thirteen a traditional Thanksgiving dinner despite the lack of electricity of gas.

 _Dear Sissy and family,  
_  
 _I still have that distant feeling like I have not really been here for a couple of months, but it isn't as bad as it was. I'm trying harder to stay in the here and now and not zone out so much. This letter is proof of that. It chronicles our Thanksgiving dinner preparations and I thought you would enjoy reading it. You were always trying all this weird stuff. Guess what, some of that stuff we saw in the old pioneer museum actually works.  
_  
 _The temperature at 0600 is 34 F. Dark sky, heavy snow, winds with strong gusts. Woke up this morning at 0530hrs to 6 inches of snow and it doesn't look to let up any time soon. The weather station is in and out so we can't get an accurate forecast. Though I don't know why we need one. There is no morning commute to deal with. No deciding whether or not it's worth the risk of driving. No construction jobs to worry about. Habit I guess. Fortunately all but Cousin's wife, the Aunt and MIL are hunters and have the right clothing to be out in bad weather. Woods-watches would be near impossible without it.  
_  
 _I'm having a "it's Thanksgiving so I can" 2nd cup of tea and writing while waiting for the fire to make more coals. Today will present a quite a challenge. I am going to cook a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for 13 people. On a coal stove, and in a large fireplace with a minimum of pans. This bird won't fit in my little Coleman folding oven or even my biggest iron Dutch oven. I have often cooked in my fireplace over the years, I've done roasting chickens in my Dutch ovens or on a drop spit. But never something as big as this turkey. What a time we had cleaning it yesterday. In the past we've just taken the breast meat.  
_  
 _But Daughter really wants a stuffed turkey on the table and she's been so good and tries to help so much so I want to do this for her. It's so hard on her. She's just coming into her adult life and it was snatched from her. No way to foresee when or even if, she will be able to resume college. She was aware of the possibility but held out that young-heart hope that she could make it to graduation. At least she'll be alive- we hope. I haven't told her yet about the letter we got from my cousin. Her daughter that is the same age refused to come home from college and they had just received word that she has died. They grew up together, as we- their mothers-did. She did get a letter from her best friend across town, on the pony express, and all is as well as can be, or was a month ago. Her family is more like ours and was fairly prepared. She's read that letter a hundred times since we got it. She finally had to put it in a page protector since it was getting so fragile and the folds were ripping. Her friend was to be married next summer and is still planning on it- though with different accommodations, and I know that makes her think about their futures. I hear her crying at night sometimes when she thinks we're asleep. We are, but I have mom-hearing and I wake up.  
_  
 _So I got out my quite dog-eared copies of Backwoods Home magazine because I knew I'd read step by step directions for dealing with wild fowl in one of them. Found the right one and sent it out to the garage with Husband and the bird. I have never plucked anything before- and I hope never to do it again. Why didn't I pay attention to Aunt Dixie when I lived with her? Cause I was 15 and I didn't pay attention to much. Some of it sank in, but I never helped with something like this. This looks a might different from a store bought bird. Once we got it dressed out and cookable we wrapped it in plastic warp and plunked it on a table in front of the drafty window in the garage where it stayed good and cold and almost freezing.  
_  
 _Last night after the evening meal Daughter and Cousin's wife and I sat at the kitchen table and tore up the bread we had baked yesterday morning and left out to get stale for the stuffing. Seemed kinda funny to be baking bread just to tear it up later on. But once we started ripping, it felt right. For the first time in almost two months something felt right. It felt like the night before any other Thanksgiving since that is what we do every year. Though before I always used store bought "stuffing bread" and all the leftover heels and pieces of rolls that got squashed or were about to get hard that I put in the freezer just for this. I am so glad I thought to put back some extra Bells seasoning. Stuffing just isn't the same without it.  
_  
 _Ok- lots of coals have developed. It's time to try out our plan. 1100hrs So far so good. We got out the big enamel covered roasting pan that we've always used. It was my grandmother's and there are many good memories attached to it. I cleared a good-sized section of the fireplace and set up my fire bricks on their sides in an oval the size of the pan. Left gaps between them so the coals can breath and scooped in the coals. We put the stuffed bird in the pan and set the pan on top of the bricks. I didn't want to scoop hot coals on top of the enamel cover like I would my Dutch oven. I have no idea what would happen. Cousin looked at the situation, made some measurements and went back to his house where FIL and Uncle and their wives are staying (I'll get into that later) and came back an hour later with an oven. A piece of steel that he had cut and bent to make an open box type thing. He set it over the pan and TAH DAH- an oven of sorts. It's big and clumsy to deal with but it's working. By 10:00 we started to smell the best smell in the world. Roasting Turkey. Thankfully Cousin has always been a serious pack rat and just could not pass up a big piece of steel he saw at the dump a few years ago. He can do anything with metal the same way Husband can do anything with wood. I don't know why I never showed him the drawing of a colonial era reflecting oven with an adjustable spit. I will now!_

1400hrs The rest of the preparations went just like any other year, peeling and chopping, except the pans of veggies went on the coal stove or into the fireplace to cook instead of on the electric range. They might taste different as we are cooking some together to save water and pans. I'm sure they'll be fine. We haven't had food like this since the power and then the water went down. Cooking this way is more work, but it's oddly gratifying. And I am so glad I practiced all these years

 _1600hrs I was sweaty and grimy from tending the bird and the steaming kettles and pans so went off to have a sponge bath and a nap. When I woke at 1530hrs I could smell the other most wonderful smell in the world. Apple pie. Daughter has a good hand with crusts and had rehydrated some of our dried apple slices and made pie. It's in the Coleman oven on top of the coal stove. I hugged her so hard.  
_  
 _1700hrs The kitchen is steamy, the table is practically groaning under the load on it. The men are drooling over the most perfect, only slightly singed, apple pie I have ever set eyes on, set in a place of honor in the center of the table with the turkey- which is a wonderful golden color and made tons of drippings for the gravy. There is no space left to put another bowl or plate and there are 13 chairs squeezed in around it- one with a booster seat. This is the first thanksgiving the little guy will probably remember even a little.  
_  
 _1900hrs. We had by unspoken planning put on good clothes- though we never have any other year. The guys even shaved. We all sat down and looked at each other and the bounty on the table and Husband tried to make a toast with apple cider but no words would come out. Cousin tried- same thing. We all just sat and looked at each other and a few tears dropped off chins and then the little guy said "have turkey Daddy?" and we all laughed and just started passing plates and bowls.  
_  
 _2030hrs. I guess wild turkey has tryptofan too. There's a living room full of content snoring men. There was not one scrap of food left when we were done with dinner. Not even anything to scrape off the plates. No leftovers for midnight turkey sandwiches. It's good because there was no waste, and nothing to try to store, but it's sad too because the late night turkey sandwich seems to be as much a tradition as the meal itself. Most of us will be so asleep by then anyway we'd never get up- but the night watch wasn't too happy.  
_  
 _Another thing that felt really strange and we hated to do it but we had to- paper plates, cups and serving bowls. It feels just plain uncivilized on a regular day and especially for a meal like Thanksgiving. But we couldn't spare the water it would take to wash all those extra bowls. Regular meals are often a one or two pot meal and it goes directly onto the plates/bowls- no extra serving containers. In fact the husbands and wives usually share our plates/bowls. With scraping and wiping before washing we've managed to keep water use for dishes to a minimum. Note for the next big turkey - need to get the pan up higher above the coals so it doesn't scorch._

2100 hours. Off to bed. Today was special, the best Thanksgiving ever, but it's back to the new-normal tomorrow.

 _Love, Cousin Cinda and family_


	20. Chapter 19

_**Chapter 19**_

The day of December 24th dawns bright and cold. In fact, it was the coldest day of the season thus far. In years passed, this would have added to the fun of the holiday season. This year it was proving to be a hardship for many families.

Few homes in this part of Florida have fireplaces. Those that do are either the very old cracker or bungalow style homes of frame and crawl space construction or are the newer, more expensive suburban homes. The older homes, unless they have been extensively renovated at some point, are usually drafty and the fireplaces are in disrepair. The fireplaces in the new homes are usually more decorative than useful, are built to see the fire not necessarily feel the heat, are set up to use gas and "fake" logs, and have impractical decorations of wood and stone detailing. The Chapman's home does not have a fireplace. And right now, until the Power Company fixes whatever the voltage problem is on the lines into the neighborhood, the heat does not work; it being one of the appliances requiring 220 voltage.

Our family is prepared for Florida's coldest weather, which usually occurs in January, with a propane heater, Hotties hand warmers, and a few other things. For now, the family doesn't want to use the fuel until they have to. So the family bundles up in layered clothing and the kids' bedding is moved into their parents' room so that the family can share body heat at night when it gets really cold. This also frees up more space for storage of the barter goods they hope to bring in.

All the wood the family has been saving is going to come in handy despite the lack of an indoor fireplace. Scott and Sissy gave each other an outdoor fireplace for their last wedding anniversary. It was made by a company called Uniflame and even came with a removable cooking grate. It sits on four sturdy legs, and unlike the firebowls that became popular the last couple of years, has a chimney. The family also has a terracotta chiminea, but it is more for ambiance than heating. It is heavy to move and awkward to clean. Its only value thus far is when the mosquitoes starts to get bad, but the family is still working outside, they burn a couple of chunks of red cedar in the chiminea to help drive off the bloodthirsty insects.

So, while Scott sets up the outdoor fireplace – it was in storage in the shed since summer – the rest of the family sets to work doing morning chores. The plants need to be moved back outside. Pool water is collected in five-gallon buckets and taken to use in the toilets inside. The potable water containers are topped off with the well and then the well is turned off for the remainder of the day. Rugs are brought outside and shaken out. A gallon of solar tea is set to brew. And a lot of other small, day-to-day things that just have to get accomplished.

Mid-morning, since the power stayed on, Sissy got to work preparing the Christmas Eve dinner. First she starts a batch of Cuban bread in the bread machine. Then she puts the yellow rice and home-canned pork loin to cook in the solar panel cooker – with the breeze blowing it will take longer to cook. At least there isn't any cloud cover. When they light the fireplace, she will set the flan and the rum cake to bake in the reflector oven. The last thing she does is to put a loaf of Raisin-Pecan-Apple Butter Bread to bake in the toaster oven for tomorrow's breakfast in case the power goes off between now and then.

After all of the food preparation is started, Sissy begins checking the edible landscaping to see if anything needs to be tended or covered just in case of frost. The last thing she wants is to have the garden get this far and then get frozen just on account of her carelessness. While she enjoys gardening, it is also very stressful, as she knows her family is becoming dependent on what she can raise to supplement their long-term prep items. She misses the accurate weather forecasts they used to get. Amazing how important to their plans they once were. While looking over the plant beds she discovers that a squirrel has dug around some of the salsify roots but it appears that they only damaged the top of one plant. This one she carefully digs out and takes inside to see if anything can be made of it. "Waste not, want not."

"Argh!"

James and Sarah come running, "Momma, what's wrong?!"

"I am gonna have me a squirrel coat if those stinkin' fluffy tailed rats don't stay out of my plants. Just look what those vermin have done."

"But Momma, they're so cute." James just rolls his eyes and walks away leaving Sissy to explain to Sarah that cute doesn't keep them from being a big problem."

"Sarah I mean it. You better not be doing anything to draw those pests. We can't afford the kind of trouble they can cause."

"But Mom…"

"No buts Sarah. Things aren't the way they used to be. Some of those nasty things carry worms and they can also carry rabies. Not only that. If they rip a whole in the soffitt and get into the attic, they can do as much damage as rats. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

"Yes ma'am. But if there aren't any birds to watch and if I can't watch squirrels, what can I watch?"

"Well, I thought you girls said Johnnie belonged in a zoo. Why can't you watch him?"

"Mom!"

"OK, OK. Next time a soft-shell falls into the swimming pool you can keep it for a couple of days and observe it for your journal, then you'll need to release it. Or maybe James can catch a gopher tortoise in the orange grove. Better yet, why don't you find out about bat houses and maybe you, Dad, and James will help you build one or two. Either way, no more squirrels. Got it young lady?"

"Yes ma'am," Sarah sighed with all the angst and drama a preteen can pack into the sound.

Sissy just shakes her head and laughs ruefully. Sarah heads off around the house. "Thank you God for my children; for their health and their safety. Please help me to appreciate their gifts and give me the fortitude not to strangle them when they do things that completely baffle me and try my patience."

"Honestly," Sissy thinks. "No wonder we have twice as many squirrels as everyone else. She's been feeding them. Thank goodness I keep the pantry locked or who knows what we would be missing by now."

Later that evening, after dinner and its clean up has come and gone and holiday wishes have been exchanged with family and friends via the internet, the family bundles together around the outdoor fireplace drinking either cocoa or hot cider made from powdered mixes. More and more their prepping is setting them apart from the rest of their neighbors. Even though they have to carefully ration to avoid waste, they still have plenty to eat. Because of their financial preps, they are able to pay their bills. And, because they established a flexible business continuity plan they are withstanding the economic trials of their industry. They've chosen not to be obvious with all they have. While other people complain about what they don't have or brag about what they do, Scott and Sissy keep their own circumstances private. They participate in the barter market for news and because everyone else does, not because they need to. They don't feel any need to make themselves a target for the envious.

While their solar/crank radio quietly plays some Christmas music being broadcast on the only station that hasn't closed until the New Year, the father tells them how Barry's little granddaughters reacted when he took over the "packages that Santa mis-delivered."

Earlier in the week Barry mentioned that the only thing the girls requested for Christmas, besides a visit from their father, was some Christmas candy. He had asked if Scott knew of anyone with some candy to trade but they had had no luck. Rose, overhearing what the adults were talking about, asked Sissy if they could give the little girls some as a surprise. Sissy, hesitant to reveal exactly how much and what she had indeed hidden away suggested instead that perhaps it would be nice if they made the girls some candy instead. With no small amount of hilarity, the kids made molasses taffy, homemade candy canes, and some Bean Fudge. They carefully packed these in a recycled Christmas tin and Sissy placed three chocolate Santas on top. They sent the tin over with three brand-new packages of crayons, a ream of white paper, and three quickly sewn Barbie doll dresses to which they added accessories from the horde their Bekah had.

When Scott went over to make the drop and try and get away without being noticed, Barry's son the sheriff, caught him. "Crap!" he thought. "This guy is going to think I'm nuts."

"Hi! You must be Barry's son. He's helped me out with my business this month."

"Oh. Sorry about growling like that. My brain is still on the job. My dad's out back. I'll get him."

When Barry came out, Scott explained why he'd been sneaking around, and before Barry could voice any objections, Scott caught a couple of little eyes peeking around the fence.

He raised his voice a little and said, "Sorry for the mix-up. I think Santa must be especially tired this year and got our addresses turned around. He's got a couple of reindeer down as well so had to make some early deliveries. Maybe you can just hide this stuff for him so the girls won't know he goofed." Then with a wink and a smile Scott turned to go leaving Barry standing there with his mouth hanging open. Right then the little girls could be heard squealing to their dad that Santa was too coming to visit. That he just was going to have to wait and see.

After Scott tells the story and everyone has a good laugh, the last of the coals start to go out. The cold was really starting to set in so they head inside to clean up and go to bed. Johnnie looked a little worried and asked, "Santa is coming?" Sissy gives him a hug and says "I guess we'll see in the morning won't we?"


	21. Chapter 20

_**Chapter 20**_

As is the family's new habit, they wake before dawn has quite broken. Everything is quiet and peaceful until the younger ones remember what day it is.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!"

Scott and Sissy make the kids wash and dress warmly before they can investigate the tree. Of course the kids are ready in record time. Even Rose and James, well past the age where they worry about whether Santa put them on the naughty or nice list, are excited about the day.

The kids had hoped to have the Christmas lights on, but the power has indeed gone off yet again. Even Scott and Sissy are disappointed but trying not to show it.

Just then Rose jumps up and says, "Wait!" And she reaches into the tree and flicks a switch on a small plastic box and a short strand of tiny white lights turns on. "I took these off an old wreath that somebody gave us a couple of years ago. I'm not sure how much charge the batteries have left in them, but we'll have Christmas lights for a few minutes anyway."

After a group hug and much praise and admiration for Rose's forethought and ingenuity, the family carefully opens their presents to one another. Even Johnnie, imitating the others, makes an attempt not to shred the paper, but to save it in case they need it for something else.

While Johnnie babbles questions like how did Santa come and how did he get in, Scott and Sissy wonder how far to take their answers. Bekah saves them by explaining, "Just like we helped Santa visit Mr. Barry's family, somebody must have helped Santa visit us." And that is as good an explanation as any.

It is like no other Christmas they have ever had. There is no doubt that it is leaner than any they've shared in years. Almost everything is homemade except for a few practical gifts Sissy had hidden away for the kids. But the fact that they are all still healthy and together, that they have food, clothing, and shelter when so many have nothing, outweighs any regret that they have that things are different. It is certainly a holiday no one will ever forget.

While Sarah, Bekah, and Johnnie are playing with their gifts, Rose helps Sissy set the breakfast table with slices of the bread that had been baked the day before, glasses of fresh squeezed orange juice, a small jar of apple butter, "margarine" made from powdered milk, and some home-canned sausage patties.

Scott and James go check on things outside. When they come inside Sissy asks if the plants are OK.

"Yeah, I think so, but we are going to have to pick all the fruit off of the citrus trees."

"Why?!"

" 'Cause if we don't we aren't going to get any. A lot of the fruit on the lower branches on one side of the tree is gone. There isn't any on the ground so they didn't just fall off," James says in disgust as he hangs his gloves on the coat rack.

"Huh." And then, after thinking a moment, Sissy says, "Well then we'll just have to clean off all the fruit this afternoon. From now until the next day the power comes on we'll drink all the juice and eat all the fruit we want. On the day the power comes on I'll need help juicing the remaining fruit and I'll can it. We've got a lot of empty quart jars and I have plenty of rings and seals put away. I'll candy the peels and anything else that we don't use can go into the compost pile. There won't be anything left for those fruit rustlers next time. Sharing with those in need is one thing, being stolen from is another."

"Yes, Mom." everyone chimes.

"And before breakfast could you all please move your worms out of my bathroom?" And with a theatrical shudder Sissy continues, "Trying to use the bathroom while thinking about those things wiggling around in there is just plain wrong."

So with a laugh that breaks the tension and gets their Christmas celebration back on track, the family washes their hands and sits down to breakfast.

After a morning spent goofing off, singing favorite Christmas carols, and generally doing nothing more constructive than putting away the dishes, it is time to pull the citrus fruit.

While empty storage tubs are lined up inside the house, Scott and Sissy begin to methodically harvest every ripe grapefruit from their two large trees. As the trees are in the front of their yard - which was probably why the trees were targeted in the first place - people start stopping by for a word.

Sissy is a bit perplexed over the attention she is receiving. She stays up the ladder in the tree to avoid close contact but people seem to insist on stopping by and talking to her anyway. She can't imagine why people she has never met seem to know her. To be honest, after four months of SIP and confining her face-to-face contacts with her immediate family, she is a little freaked out. It is a struggle to interact with people in person again.

Her neighbor finally takes pity on her and explains that Scott is always passing along bits and pieces of what she is up to. When he asks her for a recipe that someone has asked him for it usually makes the rounds of the neighborhood or gets tacked up on the neighborhood bulletin board for everyone to see. On top of that, more people than Sissy thought had listened to her repeatedly mentioning the need to be prepared for emergencies. Not everyone acted on what she said, but some had, and it has made a difference.

"Well, for Pete sake. What's all the fuss for? I'm not the only one. Mr. Cleary down the road has what amounts to a community garden in his backyard. Mrs. Linden has donated her empty lot for the trash burning and the neighborhood market. Mr. Jones lets people that have had their power turned off get water from his outside spigot and he carts water to those three widow ladies the next street over on his bicycle. I can name more than a dozen other people that do the same kind of things," Sissy huffily exclaims.

"Yeah but we've been able to say hello to them before now. This is the first time in months that you've popped your head up out of the rabbit's hole for more than a minute, and it's the first time a lot of folks have had a chance to get a good look at you," the neighbor laughingly replies.

"Add to that, you have five kids at home and a husband that goes into parts of town most of us avoided even before the pandemic – and it hasn't made you crazy enough to bay at the moon – its given you a bit of mystique."

"Mystique?! You've gotten bored and have been reading too many bodice-ripper romances again haven't you? I do not have mystique. I am a mother of five. I have gray hair. I . . . ouch . . . just ripped my jeans dat blasted! I do not have mystique. Y'all are crazy for a fact. Y'all are just hard up for entertainment."

"OK . . . OK . . . " she goes away snickering and then starts laughing outright as yet another person stops by "just to say hello."

Scott doesn't help matters by grinning and whispering up at her, "I told you this neighborhood is full of nosey people." All Sissy can do is give him a dirty look.

Later that evening, after reviewing the day's events, Sissy is reminded of one of the news clips that really struck her a couple of weeks ago. Its wasn't so much what the story was about, but how the people being interviewed were acting. They seemed either dazed and disconnected or like they were really jacked up and just a little bit on the crazy side. They would get that deer in the headlights look and phrases would fall out of their mouths before they were even half thought out.

At the time she put it down to the fact that it always appeared that the goofiest people were the ones that wind up on television. Everyone knows those stereotypes: the hillbilly hausfrau with a million curlers in her hair and a tent-sized muumuu who's practically shrieking about how the tornado sounded just like the freight trains that used run by Uncle Wilbur's farm when she was a little girl or the rail thin guy with a wad of tobacco in his mouth pondering on whether the mysterious light everyone saw was from a spaceship who was coming to kidnap humans for use as sex slaves or was the light on the front of the ghost engine that rattles through town every fifth of Juvember. Bizarre.

The thing she is remembering now is that the people on that show actually looked more or less normal. They weren't characters or stereotypes. Any of them could have been a neighbor. Heck, any of them could have passed for a member of her own family. They just all were acting strange, like they weren't used to interacting with other people much. Looking back, she now feels bad for stereotyping people that were just having trouble communicating after not really having to do it very much. She probably looked the same way those people did, only she was up a ladder in a grapefruit tree with a pair of ripped jeans on, jumping spastically every time someone addressed a remark in her general direction. She's sure she would have looked more than a little goofy had someone caught a shot of her in that position.

Sissy then went on to remind herself that she is lucky that SIP is all she is dealing with. They have food and they have their health. She hasn't lost any of her children or her spouse. They have a secure roof over their heads, a business that is still going even if it is limping, and prospects for the future. Yes, she is definitely in a Blessed position. Next time she swears she will be a little less quick to judge someone just because of their appearance. Maybe looking in her own mirror more often will keep her from being so judgmental.

But really, she must have made some picture up in that tree. At least she can laugh at herself. And she doesn't begrudge anyone else a laugh either. Come to think of it, it was kind of funny.

And so thinking, she rolls over and can finally sleep knowing that she is blessed that everyone she cares most about is safe and snug and where they are supposed to be, on this very special night. Praying that the next time this holiday comes around, things will be better for everyone.


	22. Chapter 21

_**Chapter 21**_

The New Year has come and gone. Decorations have been packed away. The radio and television stations that are still in business have returned to their pandemic scheduling. And life is settling back into a measured routine.

Choosing to accept barter goods for rent is turning out to be one of the best adjustments in their business continuity plans. Especially, at least for the foreseeable future, since they accept nearly everything. On the January 5th run they picked up the usual bushels of citrus as well as tangerines and loquats (aka Japanese plums). They also pick up a selection of Craftsman tools, a 50-foot ladder, some miscellaneous plumbing supplies, two towing ropes, a heavy-duty pulley, a marine battery still in good condition, an assortment of miscellaneous household goods, and a couple of spare tires that fit Barry's car. The car has been out of commission since picking up some nails while going through an area that had seen some rioting.

While out, Scott uses some of the plumbing supplies to help another landlord in the area fix a broken water line into a small apartment complex. For that piece of work he picks up some cash and a selection of goods that has been abandoned in empty units including several pieces of enamel and cast iron cookware. He decides to split this evenly with Barry, as the extra work wasn't in their original agreement.

Strange as it may seem, this proves to be a turning point in the business. Now several landlords in areas where Scott has his own apartments contact him and make appointments for repairs. Apparently regular repair/handy-man companies are few and far between and those that are still in business, have a long waiting list; or a long list of things that they won't or can't do. Even if you can find one and they don't have a waiting list to next Juvember, many of those companies simply will not go in certain areas of town. After careful consideration, Scott decides to continue keeping his runs down to three or four times per month because of fuel costs; but, if the extra work keeps up, especially if there is cash or fuel as payment, he will add another day or two. Or, better yet, he might be able to hire a couple of more guys from the neighborhood and they can complete more jobs on the same gas. Just in case, he and Barry begin talking about whom in the neighborhood might be good candidates as partners. Not only did the men need the skills, but they also need the steady nerves to be able to work out in the open in neighborhoods that might prove dangerous, and the temperment to be able to avoid being the cause of any problems.

"Serena thinks Tom Cox would be a great addition to the team."

"Yeah he would. But the question is would he be willing to. He runs his custom cabinet business, at least he did prepandemic."

"Do you know whether he is a carpenter or does he just own the business?"

"He's a heck of a carpenter. He was James' Cub Scout leader. He made his troop's Pine Wood Derby track and when the boys crossed over into Boy Scouts he made these shadow boxes that held all of their awards. Its beautiful work."

"Sounds good, but in case he isn't available have you thought about anyone else?"

"I thought about trying Bob Gri …" Scott doesn't even get to finish before Barry interrupts.

"No. No way, man. Guy is a boneheaded loser. He signs up to work in the community garden and then ever shows up; or show up after all the real work has been done. Mr. Cleary has also caught him asleep when he is on guard duty. I wouldn't trust the guy. Guy is lazy and shiftless."

"OK. It was just a thought and was really more about his wife and kids."

"Kids deserve some sympathy with an ol' man like Bob, that's a fact. But forget the wife. She isn't much better than ol' Bob. Ann caught her 'borrowing' a few things out of our garden … twice … even after she was told we couldn't spare anything 'cause of the girls."

"That sucks, but explains how they haven't starved to death yet. So it seems we may have our own garden pirate in the neighborhood."

"OK, Bob Grinder is definitely out. Thank gawd. You think of anyone else?"

"There's a couple. I wouldn't mind asking Mr. Jones but I'm not sure how'd he do if a situation got rough. Same with Mr. Cleary. Most of the others I know I could ask are too young because they are friends of James, and most of them don't have dads around."

"Why don't we just wait. I'll do some recon and check out who might work out on my end of the block, you check out your end. Don't let Mrs. Cleary figure out what you are doing though."

"Man, I'm glad I finally found someone to agree with me. Nice old lady, but she is a gossipy ol' thing. She means well, but sometimes I don't want my business all over town. Let's meet again tomorrow if you're up to it. The better planned out we get this the quicker we can get out, get 'r done, and get home."

While Scott is working at keeping their outside business going and the bills paid, Sissy is trying to keep the home up and running. This task is made a little easier by the fact that the power company has finally fixed whatever the problem was with the voltage and they are back to being able to run all of the 220 appliances; at least when the power is on.

To Sissy's way of thinking it is good to have all the equipment and skill sets necessary to provide for her family when the power is out. But, there is no question about life being much easier when the power is on. Being able to turn a handle and have hot water for the taking is a Godsend. Being able to throw a casserole in the microwave sure doesn't hurt either. And being able to do the washing and drying of clothes in her automatic machines, rather than in a horse trough, just about tops everything. The conveniences mean she can do more than one major task at a time.

Sissy juices and cans the nearly thirty bushels of grapefruit they picked on Christmas day. Some she cans in segments, but most she just juices and lets the kids eat the remaining pulp for dessert. She also cans some of the oranges that her husband is bringing home in trade. James, Sarah, and Bekah often slip into the orange grove next door and bring another couple of bags home in exchange for weeding around a tree or two and pulling the always-encroaching saw-briar vines out of the trees.

How James, the budding landscape architect, made those arrangements is still a mystery. But, it makes the kids feel good about contributing to the family's pantry so she doesn't forbid it. Her primary rule is that there is to be NO interaction with people outside of the family unless either she or Scott is present and even then they are to get no closer than twenty feet to the other people. Before the pandemic, that would have probably caused accusations of excessive control and child abuse. Now Sissy doesn't care what people think. She is going to do whatever it takes to keep her family safe from panflu. All she can think of sometimes is that poor woman who lives three streets over. She lost her baby, her husband, and now rumor has it that her older child is ill. As a matter of fact, that whole four-house enclave has lost at least two members per house and this is despite them having a stockpile of Tamiflu. No, she refuses to second guess herself when it comes to the safety and health of her children.

The kids also help with the gardening in their own yard, especially James and Sarah. The family is starting to enjoy some real benefit from their "farming." As soon as they pick the beets, lettuce, mustard greens, onions, cabbage, broccoli, carrots, and celtuce that they planted a couple of months ago, they turn around and plant another crop of them. January also sees the first fresh sweet peas make it to the dinner table. About mid-month they pull all of the dried pods from the shelling beans and hang them in mesh bags on the lanai to finish drying before Sissy hulls them and then vacuum seals them with her Food Saver for later use. Good thing she thought to stock up on all those extra rolls of bags for the FS. That wasn't cheap, but it sure has come in handy on more than one occasion.

In addition to the other things that they have replanted, it is finally the time of year to give parsnips and shallots a try. They also add new burdock and collard greens in anticipation of harvesting their earlier plantings of these at the beginning of next month. This succession planting will mean that they can stretch their fresh food season out considerably. And thanks to some trading her husband has done, she also has some Chinese cabbage seedlings to bed out.

Yes, it is a lot of work to keep her family of seven safe, fed, and clean. Having the power on, even if it is intermittent, sure doesn't hurt. But it is the extra helping hands her family pitches in with that is the biggest help.

Sissy is so glad she doesn't have to worry about sending the kids back to school. They have always homeschooled and she sees no reason to stop. Truthfully her kids have continued to school in much the same way they always have. The panflu only provided a minor interruption in their schedule at the very beginning. There is some concern about whether the oldest daughter, finishing her senior year in highschool, will be able to continue with her dual enrollment, but the community college just carried over her registration from the fall and she has been able to pick up two classes online. Hillsborough Community College is going to have a few classrooms open, but no where near the full capacity they usually are running.

Now that the Florida legislature has declared that public schools will re-open no later than February 1st, many families are struggling to figure out how they are going to get their kids there. People are up in arms that school bussing has been cut back by over half. There are no more free school breakfasts either, but every child – regardless of whether they were on the program before or not – will receive a free lunch just for coming to school.

All after-school care has ceased as well. Most of the sports programs have been cut for the semester, as has all of the academic and interest clubs. The legislature wants the schools to re-open but they are trying to address the concern of too many group gatherings.

The state's standardized test that is used to determine a child's academic placement for the following year, has been suspended. So far for only one year, but the news reports that some activists have made noise about taking the opportunity to scrap the test all together. Wouldn't it be strange to have something good come out of the public schools being closed for months?

There are enough parents refusing to send their children back to school that all of the home education offices in every school district across the state are quickly overwhelmed with Letters of Intent. In all of the states that have begun to talk about reopening schools, this is the case. Homeschool advocates that have been aware of the pandemic threat have reminded people since the beginning that homeschooling is legal in all 50 states of the USA and that people need to make themselves familiar with the laws that governed their state specifically. Homeschool websites are hitting record numbers of views, at least those that remain available. The websites that offer free curriculum plans and materials are getting hit the heaviest for page views.

So few teachers are choosing to return to work that many districts have to fall back on the same video lessons they have been offering on public broadcast channels while the school buildings have been closed. Registration in the state's Virtual School Program (FLVS) has been re-opened and applications are coming in so fast that the semester will be over before all of the forms can be processed. The State is really trying to make accommodations. They show some concern for the children but they also want to see more adults return to the work force instead of staying home with their children.

The law makes it clear that until a child reaches the age of 16 – older in some states – each state is required to provide them with an education. There is also an obligation on the parent and child's part to avail themselves of this education or suffer the charges of truancy (child) or educational neglect (parent), either of which could lead to incarceration. The reality is that things are so crazy that tracking truancies is way down on the priority list. The problem is that while it might not matter this year, it could seriously impact a child's progress over the next couple of years. You can't just lose an entire year's education without repercussions of one form or another. The current educational system is simply unable to address the magnitude of issues brought on by a long-term catastrophic event like a pandemic.

And the problems don't stop there. There are many schools without reliable water and electrical service. The legislature still needs to address the number of school days mandated by law that encompasses a full school year (180 days). Some schools in smaller towns are being used as triage facilities for panflu patients. Some schools have even suffered physical damage from rioting or looting.

The State, under pressure to "do something about the children" – except that there is no consensus as to exactly what that should be – has tried to please everyone and winds up pleasing very few.


	23. Chapter 22

_**Chapter 22**_

Apropos of nothing, Sarah asks Sissy, "What happened to all of the animals?"

Thinking that Sarah was referring to the plastic animals Johnnie had just been playing with, Sissy replies, "He put them in his backpack and hopefully put them back in his closet."

"Not those animals Mom. The real animals. Like the animals at Busch Gardens and Lowry Park Zoo. What about the penguins and the seals at Sea World and the pandas at the Washington Zoo?"

"Oh." Sissy stops to gather her scattered thoughts. Sarah is the one that loves animals. She is also the most tenderhearted of her brood. Sissy wonders how to answer her truthfully without sending her off into tears.

"I really don't know what has happened to all of them."

"But you know what has happened to some of them."

"Some yes. Are you sure you really want to know? You may not like all you hear."

"I really want to know."

So Sissy proceeds to tell her what she has heard here and there.

Even with many dedicated people in the world working on animals' behalves, not all the animals are able to escape the consequences of panflu any more than all the scientists, doctors, and nurses in the world have been able to keep all the people from hurting from panflu.

The pandemic flu actually started as a flu that only affected birds. For whatever reason it started affecting some people and other animals too. But at first it didn't do this very much because it was still too different from things that could easily make people sick. Over time it changed. It changed a little here, then a little there. Then it started being able to make more animals sick. And it kept getting easier for people to catch. But for a while people whom did get the virus could not give it to anyone else. Then something happened and the virus got really easy for people to get it and then easier to give it to other people and this version of the virus is what we call panflu.

The problem for the animals is the other version of the virus, the one that mostly infects just animals, hasn't just gone away. Instead of just being in parts of the world, the virus is now all over the world just like panflu is. People call this being "endemic."

"So there is an animal panflu just like there is a people panflu?"

"Hmmmm. Well, sort of. But I'm not a scientist so I can't explain the difference. It is just that the people panflu mostly just affects people now and the animal version can still affect people, but mostly just affects animals of one kind or another."

Some animals, like a lot of the chickens, get very sick and die as soon as they get animal panflu. Some animals, like some of the wild birds and cats, get it but don't show symptoms or act sick but they can give it to other animals. And, as was said, humans can still get it if they aren't careful.

Part of the problem is that a lot of animals, even wild animals, depend on people. The deer that congregate near Jackson Hole, Wyoming won't have any help this winter to keep from starving because there won't be any extra feed stands put out. Most people won't feed wild birds and squirrels anymore, even if they have the food to do it; they are too scared. If the farmer and his family get sick then there is no one to take care of the farm animals. Animals that have learned to survive by living on human garbage – raccoons, opossums, etc. – don't have nearly as much to live on so some of them are starving.

"And the animals at the zoos?"

"Yes, there are some problems there too."

Some animals living in certain zoos can't live there except for special help. Its not just being fed and watered, some animals need special habitats to live in. Some of these habitats consist of special temperature controlled environments.

"Like the penguins at Sea World?"

"Like the penguins at Sea World. And like the animals that live in zoos up north that can't survive cold weather and those that require very special food."

Now in all of these places there are still very dedicated people trying to look after the animals. No one has abandoned them totally. They feed them what they can. They continue to clean their cages and do what else they can. But some animals still get sick and die. Two of the white tigers at Busch Gardens died after eating some infected chicken parts that they had been fed. Some of the wild cats died at that wild cat rehabilitation center over near Citrus Park Mall. They probably caught it from wild birds.

With so many zoo and park personnel sick or home taking care of sick family members, some zoo animals have died because they couldn't get the very special care they need. Some misguided people have let some of the wild animals escape or let them loose on purpose. A lot of the animals from captivity just don't know how to survive without people taking care of them. Some of the escaped animals are dangerous and they have been shot at and killed by people if they weren't tracked down and captured soon enough.

Other types of problems occur in facilities that are trying to maintain animals in artificial habitats. A lot of the aquariums have lost scores of creatures because there is no electricity to run the filtration and oxygen pumps. Pet stores suffered even before the pandemic started because people worried about having an animal in the house that could spread an infectious disease. Animal shelters suffered in the same way. And when animals did start to get sick in these places, the living quarters were so close that it usually meant all the animals would get sick.

"But aren't animals important? Aren't people trying to help them? Its not fair!"

"Yes, as I said, there are dedicated people trying to help the animals. There are also scientists who have been trying to find an animal vaccine so that they can't get sick any more."

"Just like the scientists that are trying to find a vaccine for people?"

"Yes. Just like that. Just like animals need people for some things, people need animals too – food, work, companionship. Without animals our lives would not be as interesting."

Sarah continues asking a few more questions with Sissy answering the best she can. Many people are concerned about the animal issue. Some are worried about the companionship issue. They are doing all they can to protect their pets. There are people who worry about the work animals. What happens to the seeing eye dogs, police dogs, search and rescue animals, etc.? Trainers worry about their animals. A great many people are worried about food animals. What happens if all the food animals died?

These issues will continue to plague everyone for as long as it takes to develop a full-proof animal vaccine.


	24. Chapter 23

_**Chapter 23**_

On the news last night there was yet another report on a rumored flu vaccine. Everything Sissy heard prepandemic from reading the various postings of scientists and people familiar with medical science, either by profession or a studied interest, indicates that a vaccine is extremely unlikely for at least six months into a pandemic. That is just coming up with a trial version. It will take many months beyond that to manufacture enough vaccine to make it widely available to the general public.

Sissy isn't even sure if that hypothesis includes lowered manufacturing capabilities due to infrastructure collapse. Certainly the partial destruction and abandonment of the vaccine plant in Egypt is a blow to some plans.

The WHO (World Health Organization) is still operating, but at the same diminished capacity as the rest of the global community. Their ability to mitigate the initial outbreaks of the panflu strain was severely compromised because countries were not releasing their data very quickly, if at all. And when the human outbreaks become too many to ignore or hide, the WHO lost several of their frontline people who were struck down by the virus after being sent into the suspect areas.

Many of the WHO's facilities have been compromised during outbreaks as well, including their SE Asia headquarters in Malaysia. Their regional offices in Copenhagen, Denmark and Washington DC, USA however were secured in time and have become two of the more important locations utilized by the WHO to filter information through. They've also lost several regional offices like the ones in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo and in New Delhi, India. Its been reported that the WHO is still trying to guide the production of an effective vaccine by providing a clearinghouse for information exchange and by giving scientists a safe and sterile environment to work in. On the other hand, rumors in some third world countries are making it impossible for the WHO to operate there, as people are afraid that the WHO caused the pandemic to begin with.

The vaccine plants in both Austria and the Czech Republic, both owned by a company called Baxter, have been secured and they have staff working around the clock. The vaccine manufacturing facilities in the US have also been secured, though they did have a few instances of attempted attacks by misguided members of the public that blame the facilities for not coming up with a vaccine quickly enough. The angry actions were illogical, but people are scared and uninformed; results of the lack in transparency by governments.

Other manufacturing facilities around the world are in various stages of production capability. The vaccine plant in Egypt has all but been written off, with the UN confiscating any salvageable equipment and shifting it to other WHO facilities around the world.

Journalists reporting on vaccine rumors are always careful to remind listeners and viewers that no official statements have been released. They also state that no verifiable vaccine trials have been announced. But that's the way rumors are, a lot of noise but no verifiable information.

"Guess what rumor I heard at the market today?"

"Oh let me guess. Its either about a vaccine or about the poor woman three streets over."

"How ever did you guess?" Scott asks in a sarcastic voice.

"What did Mrs. Linden say she had heard this time?"

"Well it seems those families in that enclave had actually gotten a supply of an experimental pandemic vaccine. The problem was the 'experimental' part. It backfired on them. Instead of preventing the virus, that's house they became infected. Not from the commodities or deliveries, but from the vaccine."

"Oh for Pete sake. Who makes this stuff up?! No one honestly believes that tale do they?"

"Of course everyone says its just a rumor and pooh-poohs it; but some people have that look on their face. You know the one; they say they don't believe it but their eyes say that may it might be true."

"That's just great. If and when they do come up with a vaccine I can see people refusing it because they think they'll catch the virus from the vaccine."

"Human nature sweetheart. I just thought you'd get a kick out of it."

"I just wish people would stop gossiping and rumor mongering. It isn't healthy when that's all you do. What happens if our family becomes the target of malicious rumors like that?"

"I've got news for you, they haven't exactly spared us. You saw what it was like on Christmas Day. Why do you think I keep going to market days or to the burn barrel? Its not 'cause we need anything. I just don't want us to appear too different; to stand out too much."

Its not that people aren't eagerly awaiting news, it is just the fact that there isn't going to be an instant magic bullet of protection has finally sunk in. Most people now are so focused on the day-to-day issues of survival, and so wary of mass gatherings, that unlike in the early days of the pandemic the cry of "where is the vaccine?" is rarely heard during a riot.

Gone too are the days when the WHO could simply call for a "Tamiflu blanket" to try and calm a panflu outbreak. It turns out that the world's nations had less than half the number of doses they thought they did. This was primarily caused by the fact it took a minimum of twice the dosage that was originally expected to treat a panflu infection. There is also the issue that the strain of influenza that eventually made it to pandemic status has a strong component of anti-viral resistance. And, if the prophylactic benefit was to be truly taken advantage of, the infected person needs to begin taking the course of anti-viral medication immediately upon developing symptoms or even earlier.

Many countries, particularly those in SE Asia and the Middle East, had used up most of their anti-viral inventory even before the pandemic began. This was in response to the early and widespread bird die-offs, but probably contributed somewhat to anti-viral resistance. In Indonesia, where Tamiflu was handed out at even the suspicion avian influenza in a human being, the prepandemic CFR was 80% in reported cases.

One of the most worrying rumors that has recently cropped up is that they suspect there are multiple strains of the pandemic virus going around. Areas that have already suffered through an initial wave of infections are beginning to see a second spike . . . possibly the beginning of the hypothetical "second wave." The problem is that people who have already had the pandemic flu should theoretically be immune to getting it again due to antibodies in their system; however, some of these people are getting sick again. If the theory is correct, then these people could only get sick again from a strain of panflu that is different enough from the first to require different antibodies. If these rumors prove out, then manufacturing an effective vaccine is going to be even more difficult. And more people are likely to die.

As quiet as things are in Scott and Sissy's neighborhood, it becomes even more so after February 1st when most Florida schools attempt to re-open. There has been a great deal of shuffling around, trying to make sure that all children can access a classroom.

One of the biggest changes this shuffling brings about is the decentralization of the school district bureaucracies. While the school board still reigns as the final supervisory body, it is necessary to give schools and teachers more autonomy to deal with unique situations and student needs. Nontraditional classroom settings are becoming the norm – home education, virtual classrooms and schools, non-accredited private schools, "storefront" classrooms, schooling via public television and radio, etc.

For those students whose parents have chosen to return them to a traditional classroom setting, there is a whole slew of new hygiene rules:

Students are required to wear PPE at all times, from bus stop pick up to bus stop drop-off and all times in between.

Students eat at their desks rather than in a cafeteria; and, all utensils are disposable (primarily the much maligned "spork").

Mandatory hand-washing breaks have been instituted and basic rules of hygiene are reviewed periodically through out the day, every day that students are on campus.

There are monitors at all of the bus stops and on the buses themselves. A child exhibiting any of a list of symptoms is not allowed to even stay at the bus stop. The monitors also enforce the PPE rules. And, once students arrive at the school they go through a third checkpoint before entering school grounds.

No touching! Students are not to touch other students or school staff, even if they are wearing gloves.

Peer pressure – in the form of reward and punishment systems – is utilized to create a tightly controlled social environment. Infractions of the rules are grounds for immediate expulsion. The appeal process is very difficult as teachers and staff have been given a great deal of latitude with which to accomplish their responsibilities. Discipline rules are also more strictly enforced. People who were expecting the old public school baby-sitting service receive a very rude awakening very quickly.

One educational area that cannot be worked out to the satisfaction of anyone is classroom access for special needs students. There are too few special education teachers to continue most of the classes. Many students who were on behavioral altering medications no long have access to these medications and cannot function in a classroom setting without them. There are fewer special transportation options for students who need them. There are other problems as well, such as hygiene and PPE enforcement with some of this population. Many of these students are told they will have to use the non-traditional options. For parents and caregivers of special needs children already weary from enforced SIPs, losing the option to get services through the school system is a tremendous blow.

The Chapman family continues to school as they always have. The intermittent power outages have caused some disruptions, but nothing that can't be addressed by having flexible schedules. The curriculum and school supplies are holding up. They will have to address Rose's highschool graduation as best they can. Luckily she is already dual-enrolled at the local community college and that institution is allowing most students to re-register each semester without having to go through the whole application process each time which is usually the case for dual enrollment. At least some concessions are being made for students..

And, now that February is here, the family also begins to harvest more of what they have planted in their agricultural experiments. Some of the burdock and the celeriac are ready to use from the edible landscaping. The best thus far though is that the garlic is ready to harvest. Sissy still has plenty of dried garlic in the minced and powdered form, but fresh garlic will be a real treat. It tastes great in salads and pasta dishes; but science has also shown garlic to be a type of broad-spectrum antibiotic. It's a good thing that they planted so many bulbs, between the family's own use and the high demand of it at the neighborhood market, Scott feels that he could have doubled the crop and still not had enough. They carefully set aside as many cloves as possible to plant next season.

February is also a busy time for planting. Luckily the owner of the orange grove next door doesn't mind if they take some soil to mix with their compost to fill more containers so long as they don't disrupt his tree roots. But they have to put most of this month's plantings into the landscape. Several simply do not lend themselves to container gardening. Sunflowers, jicama, cantaloupe, and chayote need to be able to climb or spread. The amaranth, salsify, cardoon, celeriac, and Jerusalem artichoke are unusual enough that hiding them in the landscape makes sense as long as they can keep the animals out of them. The black-eyed peas are planted in the hottest, sunniest part of the yard as they are a distinctly southern plant well suited to Florida's weather. They have to set up a trellis for the pole beans to grow on since the pecan saplings will soon be leafing out. Everything else – potatoes, peas, and shelling beans – they plant in containers.

Later this month Sissy will start harvesting their garbanzo beans, parsnips, potatoes (from an earlier planting), salsify, and shallots. What everyone is really waiting on though are the ten hanging baskets of strawberries. They are an extremely prolific variety that Sissy has experimented with before. If you keep them picked, they seem to produce more. The berries aren't as large as the ones that are planted in the ground, but the baskets are pretty and the hanging varieties are easier to take care of. They can be moved so they don't scorch or freeze; and, moving them means that they can be brought inside to prevent berry rustling.

Sissy is getting a little worried though. It might be that things have started to "look up" so quickly that she is imagining the worst for no reason. It just feels like things might be going too well. Scott now has reliable help going to the rental units, which takes a load off Sissy's mind, and he is doing a lot of sideline repair work and is even talking about hiring a couple of more men from the neighborhood. But this means greater exposure to people who might be sick. The neighborhood market is really thriving and people are beginning to bring their own garden produce to barter; but again, this means that more people are congregating. The schools have finally re-opened, but that is yet another way people are starting to get side tracked from the mitigation measures that helped the area avoid some of the troubles that have been visited upon other states.

Prosperity and a return to normalcy is a good thing, but for Sissy, it just feels like the other shoe is just waiting to drop.

"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Things are finally looking up. Why are you so anxious?"

"Look Scott, I don't know. OK? I guess I'm just paranoid."

"Look Babe, as bad as times have been, we knew things would eventually turn around. So maybe things won't be completely better for a while. But it looks like they aren't getting any worse either. Try and relax will you? When you get like this, you may me nervous."

"I'll try. And I really hope you're right. I really do."


	25. Chapter 24

_**Chapter 24**_

It has been a terrifying time for Sissy. While recovering from the last in a long series of crying jags, she stares at the computer screen. The power is on and she should be thankful. The few times she has heard the phone ring, she has simply been too busy, too tired, or too scared to answer it. She is able to get her server to respond and after a desultory perusal of her email, she realizes that she needs to do something to let people know what has been happening. She has already spoken with her parents, but knows that there are people that she needs to let know why she hasn't been responding to their emails and phone calls.

She isn't sure exactly what she will write, but knows that it will probably help her to get things off her chest. She doesn't have anyone that she can talk to around here. God, to have been so careful and to still have this happen. She isn't even sure what "this" is yet, just that it has been as bad as anything she has ever faced in her whole life.

 _Dear Everyone,  
_  
 _I can tell by the size of my inbox that all of y'all have been worried 'cause you haven't heard from us. I'm just too tired to answer all of the emails right now so I hope you don't mind getting a group reply. As soon as I can I'll answer each of you individually.  
_  
 _I just finished talking with Mom and Dad, letting them know what's been wrong. They want to come down but I think the worst is passed and there really isn't any good, safe way for them to get here anyway. I wouldn't even know if they could get passed some of the security checkpoints on the I75. I'm sorry, but this may come out kind of long and rambling. Forgive me.  
_  
 _A little over two weeks ago I noticed Scott was just really tired. It was at the end of a day when he had gone to the apartments so I put it down to that. I sent everyone to bed early, even though the power was on 'cause no one seemed quite themselves. The days when Scott goes to the properties are hard on everyone. Normally when the power is on we try to stay up and play a game or watch a video. Everyone was kind of listless and grumpy anyway. I figured it wouldn't hurt any of us to get some extra sleep; we had been working so hard. I had the pressure canner going so had to be up a couple more hours.  
_  
 _I had just finished cleaning the last utensil and drying out the canner when Scott came out of the bedroom looking really bad.  
_  
 _He was running a sky-high temp. I got him some Tylenol, made him drink some Gatorade even though he hates the stuff and made him as comfortable as I could. I guess I had been so busy getting him taken care of that I hadn't started thinking the obvious yet. He certainly didn't seem to be thinking straight either.  
_  
 _I cleaned up, got myself ready for bed, and was checking all the doors and windows for the last time. I walked into James' bedroom and found him awake. I told him he should have been asleep because tomorrow was a school day. In barely a whisper he tells me he doesn't feel good. Sure enough he is running a temperature too. About then Johnnie starts crying. I run to keep him from waking Scott and he too is running a temperature.  
_  
 _At that point I felt the first, sharp prickles of fear.  
_  
 _I spent the remainder of the night trying to get my three guys' fevers down. I noticed that as the sky lightened that the girls were all sleeping later than normal; we had all gotten into the habit of waking at dawn. At first I was grateful as I'm too focused on the toddler whose fever had started to spike. But then I started to worry. This wasn't right. Surely one of them would have been up by now. I then run to their rooms. I find Sarah trying to take care of Bekah who was quietly crying . . . and running a temperature. The eleven-year-old seems OK, but Rose is very, very hot and lethargic and barely responding to my efforts to wake her up.  
_  
 _I would have sent Sarah to another room, but I figured whatever it is, she has already been exposed. So had I. I still refused to think the obvious.  
_  
 _About then it seems they all started vomiting. I was running around like crazy with buckets and rags. I had to switch to diaper wipes after a while. Sarah started to get really freaked at this point so I tell her that if she wants to help that she can make up some of the powdered Gatorade that we have. I also pull out my recipes for homemade ORS (oral re-hydration solution, that stuff that I showed some of you how to make at the family reunion) and all the ingredients for it in case we need them later.  
_  
 _The vomiting seemed to go on forever. For the rest of that day and night I was running from person to person trying to stay calm. I'd spend a minute spooning some ORS down this person's throat, then I'd run to that person and do the same. I was sponging everyone down as I went. Then the diarrhea set in.  
_  
 _Eventually, the vomiting started letting up, but they were still heaving. Their fevers, however, weren't letting up. And then Sarah got sick. They were so miserable and there wasn't much I could do to make them feel better. I just wanted to stop time so I could sit down and cry. I was so tired and I felt so nasty dirty from taking care of six people whom had been vomiting and having diarrhea non-stop. I tried not to think what would happen if I came down sick as well._  
 _  
This was one of my worst nightmares come true._

 _I was going on 48 hours without sleep. I found I had to work smarter. I threw several plastic shower liners on the floor in my bedroom then I would move one person and their mattress. Luckily I keep everyone's mattresses already covered with a plastic liner or it would have been a disaster. I sprayed the pillows down with Lysol really well and then put a plastic cover over them. I wish I had thought to put plastic liners on their pillows sooner. I don't know if I'll be able to salvage all of them._

 _Then I put my "sick room" plans into effect. I put flat sheet, plastic sheet, flat sheet, plastic sheet until I had about five of each on each mattress. Hubby was the most difficult to move. He was really, really out of it. It wasn't easy to move the kids either, but I managed to drag them into my bedroom by putting them on a comforter. Our master bedroom became my "hospital ward."  
_  
 _I also pulled out the tub of stuff that I had set aside for just this purpose. Why I hadn't thought of it before that point is a mystery. All I can think of is that I was running on autopilot trying to not think too much at all.  
_  
 _Between sweat, vomit, and other bodily fluids things were starting to get rank so I opened up one of the heavy duty air fresheners from my supplies. I also started sprinkling everyone with cornstarch and unscented talcum powder.  
_  
 _Around the third day there was a pounding on the front door. Turns out the Public Health people had come by to check on families that were quarantined three streets over from us and someone had told them that Barry's family was down sick. That had eventually led them to our house.  
_  
 _The bedside manners of these people really, really stunk. After nearly 72 hours without sleep I was in absolutely no mood for anything. And I was scared to death they were going to take my family off someplace and I wouldn't be able to come or to find them. I was ready for a fight. They had on those space suits and they were scary as hell, pardon my language. But they were.  
_  
 _"Where are they?"  
_  
 _"Just who the heck do you think you …," and they just pushed me out of the way and proceeded to do some kind of swab test on each of my family. The baby would have been screaming if he hadn't been so out of it. As it was they set nearly everyone but Scott to crying. Hubby was unconscious the whole time. That really frightened me 'cause y'all know what he is like.  
_  
 _They took their samples to the counter and did some kind of chemical thing with them. I can't imagine that you can get any kind of real test done that quickly but apparently they could do something. Either that or they were playing with my head. I could believe anything anymore.  
_  
 _"Its not showing positive signs for panflu." That's when they started standing down a bit.  
_  
 _To be honest I nearly fell down. I hadn't yet admitted it to myself but that is what I thought was happening. I'm still not sure.  
_  
 _"There is a virulent virus going around."  
_  
 _"No kidding," I said.  
_  
 _Ignoring my sarcasm, "Are you aware that your husband's co-worker has a son who is a Sheriff?" After my affirmative nod he said, "Most of the substation where he works has been down with it. He probably transferred it to his father's family who then gave it to your husband, so on and so forth. There are a few other households on this street that appear to be suffering from it as well, though not as many as we expected."  
_  
 _I said, "This can't be norovirus. We've had that before and though we were as bad sick as this, at least a couple of us had started to get better by now."  
_  
 _"We aren't certain what this virus is at the moment but it is virulent and mimics some of the symptoms of Norovirus. The only thing you can do is keep your family hydrated and comfortable. Watch for symptoms of upper respiratory involvement and do your best to deal with it the virus begins to manifest itself in that way."  
_  
 _They proceeded to give me information and advice that I was (1) already aware of and (2) already doing. They didn't offer to help. They didn't offer any medication to help alleviate symptoms. They just talked. I just wanted them out of my house so I could have a good cry in peace.  
_  
 _They could leave. I still had my family to take care of.  
_  
 _After five days, James started getting better. Then the girls, one-by-one, started to be able to keep down some broth. Finally, after a little over a week Scott and Johnnie started to keep down something besides ORS.  
_  
 _It's been two weeks since they started to turn the corner. Everyone has lost a lot of weigh; even me. They've been sleeping quite a bit, I haven't really been sleeping except in catnaps. Besides the actual taking care of them part, I'm still too freaked. I keep startling myself awake and running to check on each one. I catch myself constantly checking the doors and windows.  
_  
 _Chores haven't stopped either. The power has gone up and down as usual which means that I've been trying to keep all of our water containers full. I was forced to use a lot of our stored water while everyone had the fevers. On the days that the power is on I try and get them into a bath or shower if they are able to stand. I've had to take care of all the laundry that piled up the best way I could . . . and there is still a ton left to do. I just can only do it when the power is on as I'm too tired to manage it otherwise. The house is just plain gross. Thank God that I prepped all of that soup and made those instant meals up from that freezer bag cookbook I sent some of you copies of. Those cases of baby food have also helped. About all Johnnie can tolerate is mashed bananas and rice cereal and he hasn't eaten baby food in three years. About all the poor little munchkin does is nap and play with his Spiderman figures.  
_  
 _I cry a lot. And you know that isn't like me.  
_  
 _Barry's son stopped by yesterday to check on us. I think he still feels bad for the way he acted at Christmas. He looked beyond haggard. His three little girls are still not doing so well. He had to rest before he walked back to his dad's and as all my family was sleeping, we sat and talked for a minute.  
_  
 _He said he had heard from a contact at his station that it was very possible that what everyone had had was a panflu variant; that the virus is still mutating. They had discovered one strain out in some little town in Texas called Centerville that was 100% lethal. The problem was that it was so lethal that it didn't have the chance to jump much. Ninety percent of the town's remaining citizens were dead in under a week, but as the town had been so closed off from the rest of things, the virus strain didn't have a way to survive after the last person died. It was weeks before anyone had investigated and by then the whole town was a biohazard of decomposing bodies. The description reminded me too much of Night of the Living Dead. The strain that we had apparently went the opposite direction; milder but extremely transmissible.  
_  
 _If that is true, its possible that we might have some antibodies against the major panflu strain that is going around, or at least Scott and the kids might. I'm not going to count on it because it is just as possible that we don't. And I don't care what they call it, my family was so sick and miserable they could have easily died. That more than anything is what is keeping me from sleeping well. I'm scared my waking fears will turn into nightmares while I sleep. Barry Jr.'s face says that we are comrade in arms; we've faced the dragon and lived to tell about it, but we know that it is still flying around out there and might not be done with us.  
_  
 _Barry's family isn't as well set up as we are so when he left I gave him some powdered broth and a couple of other instant foods that I had. He didn't want to take them, but I said for him to think of his little girls. I told him he could return the favor some day or pass it along to someone else down the road. "Do unto others . . . " and all that. He was relieved, I think things might be worse off than he was letting on.  
_  
 _The neighborhood has been unnaturally quiet. After I get this email off to you folks I'm going to go to the neighbors' houses and see what I can see. I'm not sure I really want to know, but it has to be done.  
_  
 _Thank God I can still say "Love from all of us"_

 _Sissy and family_


	26. Chapter 25

_**Chapter 25**_

After Sissy is sure that her email made it out to her family telling them that everything is OK despite the hardships they have faced, she sits down and plans her strategy.

Sissy knows from the public health inspectors and from Barry Jr.'s visit yesterday that whatever it is that her family had has also swept through the neighborhood. She also knows that for whatever reason she is either immune or very resistant to it. If she hasn't caught it while nursing her family for the last couple of weeks she believes that she is unlikely to get it. But there is no need to be foolish about it either.

First she gathers together some basic PPE – a couple of masks, several pairs of medical gloves, a portable bottle of hand sanitizer, and a small bottle of aromatic oil in case smells are too much for her to handle. She ties back her hair with a bandana to keep it from flying around and getting into stuff. She puts on Scott's work jacket and over her shoes she puts on some rubber work boots that will be easy to sanitize when she gets back.

Into the inside pockets of the jacket she puts several ziploc bags that are "care packages." In these are serving sizes of instant rice, packages of powdered broth, some homemade ORS mix, and a package of dried instant chicken noodle soup. She made these packages up before the pandemic just in case someone came to her door. Well, she will take them door-to-door instead. Sissy plots her route through the neighborhood, leaves a note for Scott for when he wakes from his nap and tells Rose and James that she will be gone no longer than ninety minutes.

Her first stop is Mrs. Linden's house. Mrs. Linden is 78 years young. Although the pandemic has taken its toll on her, she is still a determined and community-minded woman. She is burning some trash and talking to another of the older ladies of the neighborhood when Sissy walks up. They are trying to organize a potluck but are not sure how it will work. After a few minutes of talking the three of them come up with a "Stone Soup" dinner.

"Stone soup? Oh yes, like the story. The children used to love that one at the library story hour. Everyone brings a single ingredient. All is thrown together and then everyone eats the result. You wind up getting far more than what you originally put in."

Sissy says she will bring over a commercial-sized can of chopped tomatoes (which she had bought with the intention of re-canning it into salsa, but never got around to) and some of the garlic and root vegetables from her garden.

"Jonesie still has several of those huge pots from his wife's restaurant. I'm sure he let us use them." Mrs. Linden mentions.

Sissy asks if they have heard of anyone in the neighborhood that is in particularly bad straights. They say all the houses in the neighborhood with kids got the virus. It is so sad, but two of the children from the cross street house "where that family lives that wouldn't help in the garden but still tried to claim a share" died last week. Their mother said she just didn't know what to do for them. "That bum those kids called a father couldn't even be bothered to bury the bodies; he just sat around glaring. Jonesie and the mother did all the digging and laid out their little bodies. The coroner said it would be at least a week before they could send someone out and the mother just couldn't deal with the idea of the bodies staying in the house that long."

"That special needs boy that lived with the Anderson's one street behind me died. You know he had that really bad asthma. They think that the virus turned into pneumonia and his lungs just filled with fluid and he strangled on it."

"I heard Nann Cooksey say that the red headed teenage girl around the corner, the one that used to dress so trashy and ran away a couple times and final came back pregnant, has nearly died and the baby she was carrying was stillborn. "

"One of the widow ladies had a stroke. She hasn't been in the neighborhood long so I don't know her myself but Jonesie does. She was the one that kept pretty much to herself and wouldn't have said boo to a goose. Well, she's alive but real weak on her left side. Goodness knows what would happen to her if Barbara and Helen weren't looking after her. Jonesie feels sorry for her because her family hasn't tried to do a thing for her. Not even call. Can you imagine?"

"Alice Cleary has gotten word that her nephew that worked for TECO has died. A piece of heavy equipment fell on his legs and shattered them. The infection wasn't caught in time and it went to his heart. Called peritonitis or pericarditus never can remember which is which. Herman used up the last of his hearing aid batteries and missed some of what she was saying."

"Oh, and Barry's oldest granddaughter is real bad off."

That last piece of information settles it for Sissy. The next stop she is going to make is Barry's house.

When she gets there Barry Jr. is sitting on the porch with his head in his hands. Its obvious he is under a great deal of emotional strain. It took her several tries to get his attention. And when he looks up the tracks of recent tears are plainly visible on his face. Its unnerving to see such a big, strong man reduced to such helplessness.

Everyone in their house has suffered through the virus to one degree or another. Barry Jr. and Serena, his stepmother, have been the first to recover. His dad Barry is on the mend but moving slow because his leg has gotten stiff from being in bed so long. Anne, Barry Jr.'s wife, is exhausted from caring for the girls. The two youngest girls have greatly improved though they still sleep a lot.

The oldest girl is in pathetic shape. She is deeply unconscious and her color is very bad. Her heart beat is erratic. The little girl is badly dehydrated. Barry said the ORS he got from Sissy is the first thing she has kept down in days. But now that she is unconscious they don't know how they are going to get anything into her.

"Well, I brought more. Do you have an eyedropper? Try giving it to her with that, a drop at a time to keep her from gagging. Don't let up until you get a cup of liquid down her. If she continues to keep that down, keep going. It'll probably take days, but she needs to be up to at least 9 to 10 cups of fluid to help flush her system and deal with the other effects of dehydration. Once she is awake, don't give her anything but clear liquids until it is obvious she is going to be able to keep it down. It took nearly a week before the first of mine could keep anything but clear liquids down, or without it causing a bought of diarrhea. If you have any cocoa butter or light lotion in the house you could try rubbing her down to deal with the dry skin. And I've got a couple of packs of honey with me. Try using it on her cracked lips, just be very sparing. You want the honey's healing effect, you aren't trying to tempt her to lick her lips."

She tells Serena and Anne about the Stone Soup plan that is being put together and then promises to come back later.

"I'll bring some liniment for Barry's leg."

"Your husband never mentioned you being a nurse."

"I'm not. I never even played one on TV." It was Sissy's poorest attempt at humor ever, but at least everyone tried a half-hearted smile.

"Then where did you learn all of this?"

"I was a sick kid growing up so some of it I have personal experience with. My mom and dad had to try a bunch of different stuff with me when I would get ill. But a lot of this I learned from things that I read before the pandemic like Home Care for Pandemic Flu by the American Red Cross, a Bird Flu and You poster that was put out by the National Security Health Policy Center, and Preparing for the Coming Influenza Pandemic by Dr. Gratton Woodson. There was even a DVD that was put together by some older ladies, but I never managed to get a copy. It was based on the Woodson book."

The stuff Sissy has read is very basic but is specifically written to address caring for people outside of a hospital setting. Basic is about all you have at that point. As she was leaving Barry asked if Scott is planning on a run. It turns out that both men think they'll be able to make a run by the end of the week. Barry Jr. volunteers to ride with them to help as he is still on leave from the Sheriff's department.

One her way back to her house, Sissy stops by the Denson's home and leaves a care package after finding out their only child, a 19-year-old home from college, has also been very sick.

The Cox family has also been down except for the 14-year-old son who has been taking care of everyone. They live across the street from Mr. Jones who has been stopping by to check on things. She leaves two care packages here and stays to show the boy how to fix the powdered ORS and broth. She says she or one of the other ladies in the neighborhood will be by in the afternoon to see if his mom needs anything. The boy is pathetically grateful. Sissy can easily imagine how hard it would have been for a 14-year-old boy to violate the modesty barriers to care for his mom. Her son would have been traumatized by that alone, much less the rest of what the boy has been faced with.

On the way home, and truthfully she is more tired from just this bit of walking than she thinks she should be, Sissy thinks about what she has seen. She is more determined than ever to see her family through the pandemic. She has tried to be as optimistic as she can for Barry Jr., but his daughter is really bad off. The little girl needs to be on an IV drip and who knows what else. To be honest, the little girl might even have brain damage or something from the dehydration. She guesses they will know more when – and if – the little girl regains consciousness.

For now, Sissy has reached her own limits and is glad to reach her own front door. She barely has the energy left to care for her own family, much less trying to do for everyone else as well.

As James opens the back door for her she asks, "Everyone else still asleep?"

"No. Everyone but Dad and Johnnie are awake. Johnnie was awake and hungry for once. Dad got him to eat some Chicken-n-Stars soup and then they both fell back to sleep."

"Did you dad eat?"

"Yes ma'am. We all ate the soup you left in the crockpot. We left some for you."

"Thank you sweetie. Who started the washing machine?"

"Rose dumped a load in. Sarah and Bekah are folding the stuff you brought in from the clothesline this morning. I tried to hang this stuff out but every time I have lift my arms over my head for very long I start feeling funny."

"I'll take care of the wet laundry if you will do me a favor and dig out that big bottle of lineament from the linen closet."

"The one that smells so bad it burns your nose hairs?"

"That's the one," Sissy laughs. "I'm going to run it back by Barry's house. His leg is acting up."

"You don't have to run. I'm sure Mr. Barry won't mind if you walk."

"Oh brother, you must be feeling better if you're trying to crack bad jokes. Tell Rose I'm going to make a big pile of biscuits and gravy when I get back if she'll put my big mixing bowl and the Bisquick on the counter for me."

As Sissy takes the clothes outside, she can't help but reflect on how grateful she is that she raised her children to be industrious and self-reliant. With few exceptions she's always been able to count on them to help around the house without being constantly told what they need to do. It certainly makes these trying times easier than they would have been otherwise.


	27. Chapter 26

_**Chapter 26**_

It's been a couple of days since Sissy made her first trek around the neighborhood. Mostly the neighborhood is healing; there have been two more deaths reported. The elderly lady who suffered a stroke suffered a second one and passed quietly in her sleep. The girl who had the stillborn baby died after a series of convulsions that were brought on either by the lingering effects of the virus or from a secondary infection she got during the birthing process.

Sissy herself is still suffering from nervous tension brought on by the trauma of nearly losing her family. She tries really hard to not give in to the panic and anxiety she sometimes feels. Some days are better than others. She is still suffering from insomnia. She knows that she is going to make herself ill if she does not deal with what is going on in her head. Every time she thinks about it too hard she finds herself on the verge of tears. Scott and the kids are puzzled by her inability to let it go. They have gotten better therefore everything IS better in their own minds. She thinks, "they have put it behind them so easily and are moving on. Why can't I do that?" It will take time for her to begin to trust that her family really is all safe and sound. And she becomes positively ill when she thinks about Scott resuming his business activities. Her one outlet for getting true understanding is the different flu forums. They have set up threads to specifically discuss issues like fear and grief. According to other posters, the feelings do subside, but you can't make it happen any faster than your mind is willing to go.

Relatives finally collect the body of the older lady after swiftly clearing out her house. The red headed girl is laid to rest beside her baby in the family's backyard since no one in the county could tell them how long it would be before they could get by to pick up her body.

The news says authorities are practically begging people to not do that – unauthorized burials – but families feel that they are left with no other choice when it can take up to a week for the county coroner's office to collect the bodies. The alternative is watching the bodies of their loved ones decay and that is too deeply disturbing for most people to contemplate.

It isn't just Tampa that is experiencing a sharp increase in illnesses. Apparently many locations in the US are experiencing the hypothetical "2nd Wave" of the pandemic. The 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic also occurred in waves and it had been debated whether a 21st century pandemic flu would act in the same manner. In some places that continue to enforce strong mitigation measures, there are no readily apparent waves although there have been spikes in cases.

The flat-line wave effect is a direct result of early mitigation measures. Areas where mitigation procedures are allowed to become lax or where they are lifted too quickly see a sharp increase in cases. There are many variables affecting the other areas that are experiencing a true wave; too many to be easily definable during a 2 minute news broadcast. Scientists around the world will be analyzing the data long after the pandemic ends.

Whether the virus that is causing a sharp spike in cases over the last couple of weeks in Tampa is panflu or not is still being studied. There is a strong suspicion that it is a strain that is just different enough to not register using the current testing methods. This is not good news for the vaccine companies. The only compensation is that its lethality is much lower than the original panflu strain, which is in fact still the main strain dominating the infection data from around the world.

Barry's granddaughter is awake but she isn't out of the woods yet. The poor little thing is emaciated and extremely weak. She continues to sleep most of the time. As a matter of fact, everyone who has been sick is still experiencing some degree of weakness and fatigue. To address this in her own family, and she is sharing it with Barry's family, Sissy makes up batches of garlic broth and broth made from greens.

Both broths are extremely healthy and help to build up the immune system, but are light enough for an invalid to eat. Another good one she plans on fixing is rose hip soup – full of Vitamin C – if her wild rose bushes start making hips any time soon.

Sissy knocks on Barry's door.

"Serena? Ann? Its Sissy."

Serena comes to the porch, "Hey lady! Come around back. What's in the bag?"

"A thermos of garlic broth and some fresh garlic cloves."

"Sissy, you can't keep doing this. Don't get me wrong. We're grateful. But your own family has been sick too. Scott was telling Barry yesterday that you all have already gone through over half of your garlic bulbs. There is no way we'll be able to repay you."

"Did I ask you too? Look, one, there is no way I can just stand aside and not try to do something for your granddaughter. Two, you don't realize how much of a relief it has been for me to have Barry working with Scott. Three, I know if our positions were reversed you'd be trying to help us out. So don't worry about 'repaying' anything. It isn't even a concept for this. OK?"

"OK," responds Serena with a misty sheen to her eyes.

"Anyway, how are Ann and the girls?"

"Barry Jr. finally convinced Ann to go take a nap. That was three hours ago. I know if it was my baby laying there like that I'd be as frantic as she is. But I'm scared to death Ann is running herself so hard she's going to collapse and relapse. You almost can't tell the two younger ones were sick except they are black to taking long naps during the middle of the day. But the oldest … at least she is now able to keep down a little bit of food."

"How'd she like that pear sauce?"

"It was the first thing Ann could get her to eat besides broth. We think she's definitely on the road to recovery. But even though she's the same little girl personality wise? I've notice she … oh I don't know, maybe its too soon and I'm expecting too much."

"What?"

"I don't know. It just seems she's not quite as advanced as she was. She is just looking at the pictures in the little Dr. Seuss books she used to love to read. And its just some other little things. Maybe I'm just imaging things."

I hate to say this, but maybe not. But why don't you just not worry about it too much until she recovers more. I had to practically re-potty train Johnnie. It might just be she needs some time."

"I hope that's all it is for Barry Jr's sake. Barry said the boy just can't let go of the fact that he is the one who brought this into the neighborhood. That girl and her baby and those kids dying have hit him very hard. And of course, Bob Grinder had to put in his two cents. Barry Jr. has really taken what that bastard had to say to heart."

"It could have happened in any number of ways. We still have a lot of people working outside the neighborhood and there's more non-resident foot traffic on the street than I'm totally comfortable with."

"That's what Barry has tried to tell him. But he already feels so guilty. I'm just praying that his baby girl heals all the way from this, even if it takes a while."

"I'll see if Scott will reinforce what Barry is saying if he can. Maybe hearing it from someone besides his dad will let him let it sink in. Look, I told the kids I'd only be a minute so I need to get."

"Thanks for bringing this by. I'll have Barry give the thermos to Scott tomorrow."

"OK. And don't forget about the Stone Soup Potluck. I think the older folks are really enjoying being able to put this on. It's a way for them to pay back a bunch of favors."

"I've heard a lot of people are anxious for that potluck. There are a lot of people going hungry."


	28. Chapter 27

_**Chapter 27**_

The "Stone Soup Potluck" as it is being called, is a huge success. In fact it is likely to turn into a weekly tradition for the neighborhood. At least for the foreseeable future anyway. It is a way for everyone to have some variety in their diets and contribute to the well-being of their less fortunate neighbors. What goes around comes around. A household may have an abundance one week, and then have bare cabinets the next. The Stone Soup Potluck is a way to make sure that every household has at least one solid and nutritious meal each week.

The soup itself is a wild hodge-podge of ingredients. The result is a cross between a soup and a stew, thicker than your average soup but too thin to be a true stew. On some days it is thinner than others. The soup has a lot of dried beans in it but there is a pretty good showing of fresh ingredients as well from backyard gardens.

Scott and Sissy's neighborhood isn't the only one experimenting with this type of effort. All around the country, groups of two or three households all the way up to large apartment complexes work together to share what resources they have. International news is sparse at times, but soup lines are a common factor in many human-interest stories coming in from around the world.

There are risks involved – cross infection from too many people in one location, poor food handling causing outbreaks of food borne illnesses and parasitic infections, and allergic reactions to unknown ingredients. But for hungry people, the risks are worth it. But there are ways to lower the risks. Walk-up windows protect food handlers from becoming infected. Stringent cleaning practices help to prevent such things as salmonella, e. coli, camphylobacter, shigella, and listeria. Signs hung up listing communal cooking pot ingredients, including any cooking oils that were used, let people know most if not all of what they were getting.

Sissy struggles to keep up with all of her gardening. While her family continues to recover she is left to do all of the heavy labor by herself; including the daily in and out of the container garden. She has considered about just leaving everything out, but all the problems people are having with raccoons and two-legged varmints keeps her at it. As it is, the neighborhood has to put a 24 hour guard on the cooperative garden in the back of the Cleary house after Mr. Cleary kept having to run people out of the garden several times every night.

James, the first to begin recovering, is helping as best he can. He continues to pick fruit in the grove next door. He can also sit and weed the things in the container garden; however he tires quickly. The girls help by watching Johnnie and washing what is harvested from the garden. Thus far, the family has used everything but the grapefruit and shelling beans fresh. They are lucky they didn't lose anything while the family was sick. It rained lightly twice or they would have lost quite a bit. The weather remained cool, so nothing wilted. But the weeds nearly strangled some of the seedlings.

Scott and Barry put off their run two more days and Sissy is grateful. Everyone needs the extra recovery time. In addition to Barry Jr., another man from the neighborhood with carpentry skills is coming. His name is Tom Cox. Tom owned his own cabinetry business prepandemic, but no one needs new cabinets these days. Few enough people have anything to put in their old cabinets. Between the four men they hope to catch up on some of the delayed repair business referrals which they will all get shares in. After this run, if his daughter continues to improve, Barry Jr. will return to his job at the Sheriff's department. If Tom works out, and work keeps coming, they will pick up another man from the neighborhood to replace Barry Jr.

In preparation for the run, Scott asks Sissy if there is anything in particular that she would like him to look for. "Everything" just isn't a good enough answer, though its certainly accurate.

Sissy has been dreading this, but in order for her to tell Scott exactly what they need the most, a re-inventory is in order. Sissy knows they are coming up short in some things. Saltine crackers are the first thing that springs to mind, but that isn't something that will likely be for trade. Depending on how much flour they have left, she has a recipe she can use to make their own crackers. They will not be as pretty and uniform as the ones that are commercially packaged, but they will do the job. Sissy found one bag of flour had weevils in it. They can't afford the loss, so when her family isn't looking she puts the flour through a fine sieve and sets it in a container to use for the next couple of batches of bread. She read this as common during the US Civil War but she never expected to be in a position where she would have to do it herself.

They still have quite a bit of rice. She does wish she had stocked more packages of yellow rice; she will need to be more sparing with that or hope she has the ingredients to make it from scratch. Even once the groceries are able to stock better, specialty items will probably take a while to see wide availability.

She still has plenty of tortilla ingredients on hand, flatbread ingredients as well. But if the men run across any flour she won't turn her nose up at her share. She needs to be more sparing with the yeast at some point, but so far so good. She can try making sourdough starter but her prepandemic experiments doing this were only partially successful. Sissy prefers the Amish Friendship Bread Starter, but that is sweet and doesn't go well with everything.

Sissy sees they still have plenty of pastas, except for a few of the specialty shapes which she decides to either save for soup or donate to the communal "Stone Soup." She wishes she could remember when acorns fall from the oak trees. She is pretty certain it is in August, but she can't remember for sure. If the markets haven't gotten better by then, she'll have to give making acorn flour a try, assuming the squirrels don't get them all first. Those fuzzy-tailed rats get into everything else, she'll have to be fast to get enough to work with.

There is still case upon case of canned veggies. These are being supplemented with the fresh stuff they are growing in their yard. But any fresh fruits and veggies that Scott can trade for will mean that the longer-term storage items won't need to be gotten into yet.

Dairy isn't a problem yet either. Sissy still blesses the posters on the various flu forums who had pointed her in the direction of several long term and survival food stores. From a company called Honeyville she picked up a year's worth of powdered eggs and powdered milk for a very reasonable price. Seeing the remaining, unopened #10 cans gives her a feeling of confidence that she will be able to provide her family with a varied and nutritious menu for a long while yet. She has also stocked cans of evaporated milk, cheese, and ghee (clarified butter which requires no refrigeration).

Sissy sees that the family still has a lot of canned meat. They are probably one of the few that still do in their neighborhood. She prepped nearly a hundred cans each of chicken and home-canned ground beef. They still have home-canned meatballs, cocktail weenies, pork loin, and beef stew meat as well as commercially canned tuna, canned hams, canned vegan meat substitutes, and other canned meat products. They also have a pretty good selection of home-canned convenience meals like the ethnic ones that her family is fond of and a bunch of soups. They even have TVP (textured vegetable protein) from one of her early buys of long term food storage items. Sissy is very careful to conceal the fact they still have all of this meat. Meat as well as other proteins are one of the things that a lot of people are beginning to crave. With birds out of the diet, at least for now, and all pork products suspect, beef is an exorbitant amount at the grocery according to neighborhood gossip. . . when it is even in stock. If people can hold on until October, Florida's seafood season will get in full swing with crabs, snapper, and shrimp available to the private angler. What to do in the mean time is the question.

What Sissy is a little worried about are paper products. They went through an extraordinary amount while everyone was sick. And they are going through a lot of laundry detergent trying to catch up with all the towels and sheets, not to mention the whole house scrubbing that Sissy did to get rid of all the germs that she could. She used a lot of deodorizer to try and get the rank smell from all the sickness out too. So on her list she puts down any unopened bottles of detergent, cleaners, and paper goods. They aren't close to running out yet, but she will feel better if they can build their stock back up. The other thing she puts down as a priority is cooking oil, unopened of course. She prefers not to risk intentional or unintentional contamination. Nor does she want to get second hand oil that has been strained and bottled as "fresh."

Their sweeteners – granulated sugars (both white and brown), honey, cane syrup, and molasses – are holding out. So is the pancake syrup, but it won't last forever. But Sissy doubts anyone is holding a stash of sweeteners. If someone can ever come up with a honey farm they will make a fortune in barter goods, and probably cash as well. The sugar cane in south Florida is usually finished being harvested by the end of April but no one knows if it is going to make it further north this year. Since Florida still harvests cane mostly by hand, rather than the mechanized methods of Hawaii and Louisiana, there is also the concern that there won't be enough workers to harvest the crop. It's a brutal job and dangers lie in the form of machete accidents and snakebites. If any sugar does make it out of south Florida, it will probably be a pricey item.

The day of the run dawns clear; a good sign. All the men pile into the van and left. Sissy has not been looking forward to this day, but knows it is both inevitable and necessary. She slips a picnic lunch into the work van as well as a gallon of citrus-ade . . . a mix of whatever citrus fruit juice they have on hand. This will add to whatever each man brings from home, including his own jug of water. But she plans to have a surprise ready for when Scott comes home.

Sarah and Bekah have birthdays in close enough proximity that they are sometimes celebrated together. This year, one birthday passed while everyone was ill and the other is looming around the corner. Thanks to the unusually cool weather, the potted strawberries are taking longer to ripen than expected, but a couple of pints of berries are ready for harvesting.

The surprise, to celebrate the girls' birthdays and everyone's recovery, is strawberry shortcake. Sissy picks the berries then cleans, caps, and slices them into a bowl. Then she sprinkles them with a little sugar before setting them aside. Sissy uses baking mix and a simple recipe to make the shortcake part. To top this off, she has a real surprise. She makes fluffy whipped topping from powdered milk.

"Momma, can I help?"

"Sure Bekah. Get the measuring cups, the whisk, and that big bowl I put in the freezer and put all of it on the counter while I get the ingredients."

"What can I do now?"

"OK use the one-third measuring cup. First measure in a third cup non-fat dry milk out of that big box. Then add one-third cup of ice cold water."

"Is this mixed enough?"

"Uh huh. Now add one-quarter cup of white sugar and mix it up again."

"Does the sugar need to be all melted?"

"It need to be all dissolved. I want you to keep whisking. I'm going to put in one teaspoon of lemon juice and one teaspoon of vanilla extract. That's right, keep whisking."

"Momma, my arm's getting tired."

Sissy smiles as she says, "I thought you wanted to help."

"I do, but my arm is still getting tired.'

"Here, let me show you something. When you get a little bigger you'll be able to pick up the bowl and tilt it a little so you can whisk really fast like this."

"Wow! That's really fast. How come you aren't spilling anything?"

"Practice sweet pea. And we have to keep doing this until fluffy peaks form."

"It looks like that Dream Whip stuff."

"Sorta is. But this is something I can make from scratch. We might not have any Dream Whip one of these days."

When the men come home they are definitely tired. In addition to fatigue though, there are undercurrents of other emotions. There is obvious satisfaction on their faces for having brought in quite a haul of barter goods and cash. Sissy can tell from Scott's expression as he unloads the day's haul that they had a good day, but his eyes also hold a hint of something else.

After the other men leave Scott says, "Well, its certainly been one of those days."

"How so?"

"We've go four empty units."

"Oh no. Where? Do you know why? Are they damaged?"

"All in the same complex. According to the neighbors one unit went vacant – you never met this woman, she moved in right before the pandemic – when this woman was arrested for battery with a deadly weapon at a brawl at a market. Three people had to go to triage. That one isn't too bad 'cause the woman's relatives came and took the kids and cleaned out the apartment too."

"What about the other three?"

"One was abandoned when that Haitian chick with the three kids split from her boyfriend. Neighborhood gossips say they still see 'em around, just living with other partners. The other two apartments were just walked away from. Who knows why or where they tenants are now, but they left what appears to be most of their stuff."

"How bad is this going to be?"

"Not too bad. Actually not bad at all maybe."

"How can you say that?! That's four apartments!"

"I've already got more people wanting those units. I've got more wanting the units than I have units available. And no one vandalized the empty units. Mr. Sawyer, his son and that bug guy Elwin pretty much have that complex under control. I actually don't think they were sorry to see some of those people go as they were making trouble and talking trash, especially that chick that got arrested."

Contrary to what Scott has expected to happen, he is still one of the few landlords that accepts barter goods for rent. His units also have consistent water service, though he has found a few tenants have tried to remove the governors from the supply lines. This shuts down the intake set up behind the wall and they've finally learned to leave them alone or suffer without water until Scott comes o reset them. Many apartment complexes around town do not have consistent utilities, either due to repair issues or payment issues. Too few owners have the cash to float the bills until the economy stabilizes.

Scott is thankful that the men have agreed to go with him again tomorrow and clean out the units so he can turn all four apartments before curfew. It will be a big help and they will split any of the abandoned items that are worth keeping just like in the repair service.

What really caused the grimness in his eyes though is when they had to detour around one of the hospital areas. Illness around town has spiked. For the second time, people are being triaged into various tents in the hospital parking lots. One of Barry Jr.'s contacts on the HCSO (Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office) recognized him and told him that while deaths from the flu are only going up slightly, the number of people being hospitalized has more than doubled.

The HCWs are at the breaking point due to fatigue; several have simply walked off the job. Despite this, things are still fairly well organized but it's a close thing. There are wards set aside for patients who have family members willing and able to assist in their care. Worse is the fact that there are so many children down sick that there are three huge tents set up just for them.

"Honey, you should have see Barry Jr.'s face when he heard that many of the kids didn't seem to have any family looking after or for them. It was actually painful to see his expression. He's having a hard time with going back to work. Barry is really worried about his state of mind."

"Is there anything we can do?" Sissy asks.

"Now that you mention it . . . and I know we should have discussed this between us first . . . but I told Barry that we would put together a box of PPE and food that Barry Jr. could take back to the substation with him or keep in his patrol car."

Sissy replies, "I don't have a problem with doing that and you know it. What aren't you telling me?"

"Well, I told Barry Jr. that we'd look after the girls if anything happens."

"Uh, what does if anything happens mean exactly?"

"I said that if things got bad we would make sure that his girls were looked after. I guess that could mean a lot of different things but mainly it means that if there are no adults left to take them in, we'll take them rather than see them go into child protective services."

After a stunned moment with Sissy trying to breathe and think her way through this bombshell, "I know this is going to sound horrible, but you do realize we have five children of our own to look after right?! I'm struggling to stay on top of things now, how am I going to add three more children to the equation? These girls don't even really know me. They adore you because you were the Santa delivery guy. But I will be the one left to integrate them into everything."

"Look, don't put the cart before the horse. I didn't mean for you to get all bent out of shape about it. I know it's a risk, but Anne doesn't have any family and Barry Jr. only has his dad and step mother to count on. There's the brother at MIT but he is several years younger and unmarried."

"Geez Louise. I know you mean well, and I do want to help, but this is really hard to get my head around. We could jump from five kids to eight overnight. And the oldest might wind up with special needs from the fever and dehydration when the sickness came through. I'm not even sure that I'm qualified, much less able to address what she might need. It makes my teeth hurt just trying to imagine it. If only for Barry's sake I don't want to see the girls fall into child protective services custody, but you have to admit this is a lot for me to swallow all of a sudden like this."

"I know. And like I said I know we should have discussed it between us first. I just didn't see an alternative. We are probably the only family in the neighborhood equipped to do it. Illness runs rampant in those temporary housing facilities. A kid might survive the loss of his or her family only to die due to the intended kindness of virtual strangers."

"Just give me a sec. I agree with you . . . its just . . . its just . . . I don't know. Surprising? Shocking? Scary?! We aren't even listed as next of kin for my nephews. To suddenly find out I could be raising three more kids?" Then taking a deep breath Sissy capitulates by saying, "Ok, I agree to this, but I want every piece of contact information on those other two brothers of his – even the crappy one. And I want this up front with Barry and his wife. I do not want any of this 'assumption' stuff. We do it legally and above board or not at all. I don't want to fall in love with those little girls only to have them ripped away because we didn't cross a 't' or dot an 'I'."

"Done," says Scott. "I'll try and find some forms and I'll see about getting them notarized."

As Sissy goes through the remainder of her day, she thinks that she shouldn't be surprised by what Scott proposed. He is a grumpaholic hard-heart around most adults, but when it comes to kids he can be a real marshmallow. And its not like this sort of thing isn't happening all over. The pandemic is striking hardest at the five to twenty-five years age group, but not exclusively. Parents and guardians are dying, leaving children of all ages without caregivers. Sometimes the kids are simply turned over to the state or abandoned when their parents cannot take care of them anymore. Foster parenting is becoming much more common, though the system continues to be rife with problems.

Something new has also sprung up called co-parenting. Two or more adult households are helping to raise a single child. In other cases it is a sibling group being raised. But genetically unrelated groups of kids in this set up are also appearing. The reasons for this phenomenon run the gamut from economic to emotional.

A segment of the Devon McLoud series was on this when he spent nearly a week at a commune in Utah where a multi-generational group of fourteen households were helping to raise a dozen children, three of whom were newborns of mothers who had died at the local health care center. McLoud ended the segment by saying, "The whole group represents different age groups, different religions, and different ethnic backgrounds. There are lots of differences in the adults. But they all agree on one thing. Their greatest priority is keeping their children healthy - emotionally and physically - using all the talents and ingenuity at their disposal."


	29. Chapter 28

_**Chapter 28**_

After the bombshell Scott lays on Sissy is dealt with, at least temporarily, it is nice to get back to less stressful concerns. The strawberry shortcake is a huge success. Sissy again dips into the gifts she set aside for the kids "just in case" and comes up with several things Sarah and Bekah really enjoyed as birthday gifts. Everyone stays up later than usual and Scott uses some of their hoarded propane fuel to keep a lantern running after the power goes off mid-way through a heated game of Uno for both light and some heat.

The next morning everyone is slightly bleary eyed from the unusually late night, but everyone is still up at their new normal time of daybreak. With so much manual-labor to take care of when the power is down, they really cannot afford to sleep any daylight hours away.

It is funny, here it is going into the seventh month of the pandemic and the new paradigm of working during daylight and sleeping during the dark hours has turned out not to be that difficult for most people to adjust to. Besides, with the curfew for both individuals and businesses, as well as the crowd restrictions, there isn't exactly a lot to do when the sun goes down. This also helps save on fuel and batteries.

After Sissy sees Scott and the other men off for a long day of turning those four apartments, she continues to think about the various changes that they have had no choice but to accept.

The power going up and down is a pain. It would have been nice to have a consistent schedule to operate by, but that isn't likely to happen any time soon. You just learn to keep water containers topped off and to waste as little as possible. Food leftovers aren't really a problem, there is a lot less waste in general than there had been prepandemic, at least in Scott and Sissy's neighborhood. Foods that require refrigeration are rarely available, and when they are they are used up as quickly as possible. Laundry continues to be the bane of many households. There just is no easy way to do any amount of laundry without the power on. From water to agitation to rinsing, keeping clothes clean is very labor intensive.

Of course, food availability is something everyone is anxious about, even for families that have prepped. "Preppers" as the news tends to call them – like they are some separate species – started using up their preps as early as two weeks after the first illnesses were reported. Three days to two weeks of preps simply was not enough and did little more than help the markets stave off collapse for a few extra days. It was something, but not much. Those that had taken their prepping up to three months have also found out that it depended on the weather and their geographical location as to how easy it was to get re-stocked after their supplies ran low. Now the six-month preppers are beginning to see an end to their long-term supplies. Many, like Sissy's family, are trying to supplement their supplies with home-grown produce and foraging practices, but because it is only March, a lot of them are just beginning to set seedlings up for their spring garden. Even more, some locations in the US still see a significant amount of snow – at least enough to delay planting – well into April.

People are learning to operate on a lot fewer calories than most people had prepandemic. Sissy is thankful that she had passed the 9-month mark before everything hit the fan. Between the long term preps, the fresh foods that she is growing, and the barter items that her husband is bringing in, her last inventory shows that she will be able to stretch that out several months longer. Her personal concern is still for the lean months of the summer when it is too hot to grow most edible garden produce in her neck of the woods.

Fuel and transportation costs continue to be a crisis. Many refineries are shut down, either due to staffing or equipment failures. Those that are still running, are operating well below capacity simply because there isn't' enough crude oil coming in. Gasoline is extremely expensive, now going for a minimum of $10.00 per gallon if it is even available. In some area, like California and many northern states, if private citizens can find fuel to buy it is at least double that price. Many corner gas stations have closed down their pumps if they have remained open at all. Alternative fuels are not doing any better. Most of this year's corn crop is earmarked for heading off mass starvation here in the US. That means that even if the ethanol plants can be up and running, there simply isn't anything for them to process. The same is true of bio-diesel. Bio-diesel is primarily a recycled product . . . no used cooking oil to recycle, no bio-fuel.

There are rumors of some "white lightening" manufacturing going on further south where the sugarcane crops grow. Sugar cane as well as many starch-to-sugar plants like corn, potatoes, etc. can be converted into homemade liquor. The higher proof the resulting liquor is, the easier it is to use as a fuel. Local law enforcement usually looks the other way so long as the stills are being used to create "fuel." But, if they are making drinking liquor then they get shut down pretty quickly. There is some corruption, like kickbacks and bribes to keep from getting raided, but most people are careful not to stir up trouble. It is too hard to come by replacement parts for busted stills. And no one wants to draw the attention of local gangs.

Some of the most difficult changes though have been of a social nature. Families must unite on a constructive level to get through difficulties. The pandemic crisis is really highlighting some of the problems in marriages and parent/child relationships. Single parent families struggle even more than before. It isn't very "liberated" to admit, but a woman alone, or even worse a woman alone with children, runs a far greater security risk than does a two parent or two adult household. It isn't about finances, it is about the realities of the physical logistics of survival.

There are people – both male and female – who are taking advantage of the situation. But there are also marriages and relationships that have been saved by the enforced time and proximity faced in SIP and quarantine. Then there are the creative approaches where more than one adult, some with children, team together in a communal setting that has nothing to do with sex and everything to do with survival. Sissy wonders how long these relationships of convenience will last once the pandemic and the subsequent economic upheaval is over. Only time will tell.

But as she sits on the porch to take a break and enjoy a cool, orange blossom scented breeze wafting out of the grove, she realizes that overall – at least in this neck of the woods – life still progresses in similar ways to what it had before. You love, you work, you strive to provide something better for your family and yourself. The pandemic is a temporary event with a finite ending at some point, even if no one knows when that is yet. There will be repercussions to deal with afterwards, but even then people will survive and some will strive for success and some will allow life to just take them where it will.

Maybe tonight, if any of the local stations are up and running they will sit and listen to what is happening outside of their city. Sissy says "maybe" because her attitude is that it is good to stay informed, but tired people need rest and lately the news isn't very restful. She is still very careful of her family's health as she doesn't consider any of them back to one hundred percent yet, not even herself.

As the family sits down after a dinner of Bean and Vegetable Burritos created from homemade flour tortillas, canned pinto beans, and vegetables from their garden they turn the solar radio on and try to pick up the closest radio station which is WUSF 89.7.

They can't raise that station at all so realize that the power outage more than likely stretches all the way to the main USF campus. This is bad news because the nearest hospital, University Community Hospital (UCH), is directly across from the university. All of those tents around the hospital are going to lose their power. Luckily there is a full moon tonight and the sky is fairly bright. When the power goes out and there is no moon, pitch black doesn't begin to describe how dark it gets.

Scott skips back up the dial to WRBQ 104.7. It is a popular radio station from prepandemic days that played a mix of music from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Though part of a large corporation - CBS Radio Broadcasting – and affiliated with radio stations across the country, they are still very community-minded and their business continuity plan reflects this as well as an unusual commitment to their staff. One of the disc jockeys that has been in the bay area since the mid-70s is also part of the station's management team. He quickly organized the staff, and most of their families now live and work out of the station building on Gray Street.

They park the radio dial just in time to hear the announcer come on and say "This is your nightly, in-depth news report broadcast from Q105, serving communities in the Tampa Bay area."

 _In local news:  
_  
 _You can expect tighter gas rationing at the pump within the week. Gas purchases will be restricted to ten gallons per visit, down from the 15 gallons that it has been since November. Gas stations that are still in business are being encouraged to reserve at least one pump for walk-up customers. Safety Note: Walk-up customers are reminded that they must use appropriate fuel containers._

 _A local man is trying to make the legal case that using deadly force against individuals in the process of stealing from a family's garden falls under the same laws that allow a home owner to use deadly force against an intruder that enters their home; or the new Looter Laws. The man points out that in these catastrophic times when what a family gets from their garden can make the difference between life and starvation, stealing from the garden is a deadly threat and a homeowner has the right to respond accordingly. To the consternation of several civil rights groups, this movement is receiving wide support through out the state, including the support of many law enforcement agencies and private citizens' groups._

 _All of the bay area Bank of America branches have converted to drive-up-only facilities. They follow several other banks in this area who have been forced to close their customer service areas in the wake of last month's rash of gang-style bank robberies. A statement directly from B of A headquarters in Charlotte, NC states that while Bank of America understands the inconvenience this may pose to some customers, it is a necessary step to ensure the safety of customer assets as well as respond to new OSHA work environment regulations. The statement continues further by encouraging all current B of A customers to take advantage of their broad range of online banking services._

 _According to a spokesman for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the bay area can expect to see an increase in haze and a lowering of air quality as the fire in south Florida continues uncontained. The fire is believed to have started in a mobile home community when a gas grill exploded. The fire quickly spread through the closely spaced trailers of the retirement village and has now engulfed over 100 acres of homes just outside Naples, FL. Cool, damp weather is preventing the fire from spreading too rapidly. The National Guard is assisting in evacuation efforts and local volunteers are constructing firebreaks in an attempt to prevent the fire from reaching the Picayune Strand State Forest. Picayune Strand is home to the only stable population of panthers east of the Mississippi, one of the few native wild cat populations apparently unaffected by the current panflu strain._

 _In other areas of the state:_

 _School closures are again under discussion. Legislators are preparing to vote on an emergency measure that would shut down the public school buildings at least through August. This same measure would transfer classroom teachers to positions with the FLVS and the public broadcasting classroom system. If the measure passes, parents will be responsible for transferring and registering their children with the appropriate country program office. The Florida Education Association (FEA) and the National Education Association (NEA) are offering limited support to the changes as long as all teachers currently employed are given positions within the new system at the same pay and benefits as their previous position._

 _To address the 180 classroom days per school year required by Florida law, the current academic year will run non-stop through October of this year. The next academic year will follow immediately on its heels and continue until a 2nd 180 classroom days have been completed. At that point, a return to a more traditional school calendar is expected._

 _Universities and community colleges around the state are addressing their students' needs with the same creativity. Starting with their summer semesters, the online class list will be expanded. USF has also announced plans to offer lecture courses as downloads for Blackberries and mp3 players. Many universities will offer multi-media lectures in real-time and for replay using programs like Windows Media Player and Quick Time. HCC's courses that utilize WebCT will more than quadruple over preceding semesters._

 _A "volunteer for food" program called S.H.A.R.E. is being used as a model in the process of revamping and combining several state-level assistance programs. This is being done so that program abusers are weeded out and more people can be served in a wider geographic area. Participants will use volunteer hour vouchers to "buy" items from the program's mobile grocery stores. The amount of food or household items available to each household will be directly determined by the number of volunteer hours that the family earns. There will be a minimum number of hours required to participate in the program, as well as required service hours in the agricultural division. Vouchers will have expiration dates 60 days after issuance. People currently receiving assistance will automatically be enrolled in the new program. People that have been on waiting lists or those who would like to apply to participate should call the assistance program office at 1-888-200-1234 for more details._

 _In other news, the State's Office of Vital Statistics has reported the latest pandemic death figures. The numbers are disheartening. Despite stringent mitigation measures that have been in place since the beginning of the pandemic, the latest figures for a statewide population of 17,789,864 stands at 71,159 dead. This figure only includes confirmed fatalities from pandemic influenza. Deaths for other reasons, such as from violence and infrastructure collapse, as well as for other infectious and/or chronic diseases, have not been released._

 _The CDC has released tentative, nationwide death figures as well. The national death total stands at 3,371,283 for pandemic influenza. When asked whether they would release ancillary death totals, a source inside the CDC who wished to remain anonymous since they were not authorized to speak to the media, stated that the true number of deaths from associated infrastructure problems would not be known until months after the pandemic had officially been declared over._

 _Also in national news, everyone is reminded that while a moratorium on federal income taxes is in effect, tax forms themselves must still be filed._

 _Federal investigators have turned in final reports on why New York City has failed to respond to every mitigation procedure imposed since the beginning of the pandemic and how this failure has affected surrounding areas. CBS and Clear Channel Broadcasting are teaming up and will offer a synopsis of this report once it becomes public._

 _In other health news, authorities are reporting dozens of cases of trichinosis that have been popping up around the country. Trichinosis is is a food-borne disease caused by a microscopic parasite. Animals such as pigs, dogs, cats, rats and many wild animals (including fox, wolf and polar bear) may harbor the parasite. When humans eat improperly cooked meats, they can become infected with the parasite. Many people have been forced to hunt to supplement their family's diet. Inexperienced hunters are believed to be the primary culprit behind the sudden upswing in cases. The symptoms of trichinosis usually start with fever, muscle soreness, pain and swelling around the eyes. Thirst, profuse sweating, chills, weakness and tiredness may develop. Chest pain may be experienced since the parasite may become imbedded in the diaphragm (the thin muscle separating the lungs from abdominal organs). The incubation period varies depending upon the number of parasites in the meat and the amount eaten. It can range from five to 45 days but is usually 10 to 14 days._

 _The US Meteorological Society has issued its yearly hurricane prediction. Its looks like pandemic-driven infrastructure failure is not the only thing that will interrupt utilities this summer. Scientists are saying they expect to see 17 named storms, 9 of them hurricanes. Of the nine, five are expected to be category three or greater._

 _In international news:_

 _Reporters from within Asharq Alawsat newspaper report tribal and sectarian feuding through out the Middle East. The only common theme appears to be general belief that the "Zionist West" either orchestrated the pandemic for its own ends or is using the pandemic to subdue the rest of the world. Unfortunately, desperation and sectarian pressures are leading many to buy into the propaganda. Already many western interests and embassies have been destroyed during demonstrations. The US remains at a critical security-threat level in response to intelligence of several credible threats._

 _The WHO reports world wide fatalities have surpassed initial predictions. With no end to the pandemic in sight, a vaccine is becoming more and more important._

 _And that is your nightly news report._  
 _  
Reminder: City of Tampa Utilities has issues a boil-water order that will remain in effect for the foreseeable future. For other community news, be sure and tune into Q105 on the quarter hour._


	30. Chapter 29

_**Chapter 29**_

The news last night wasn't the most heartening Scott and Sissy has heard, but life goes on. The hurricane prediction makes them nervous but since hurricane season doesn't start until June 1st and there isn't a whole lot they can do about the weather anyway, they decide to focus on what they can do. Today's task is reorganizing all of the things that Scott has brought in from barter and the produce from their garden.

However, Scott and James decide to first see if Barry or any of the other neighborhood men want to walk to the gas station two miles away to pick up another 15 gallons of fuel before the restrictions take effect. It is always better to go in groups if you are walking, especially if you are going to the store or gas station. Scott knows he could take the van but then he would have to waste gas waiting in the longest lines. Walk up lines are much faster and shorter.

If it is like the last few times Scott has waited in line for fuel, they will be gone all morning. While Sissy packs some snacks and a couple of water bottles, Scott puts his weapons permit in his pocket and straps on his side arm.

There are a couple of people in the neighborhood that still insist on making sarcastic comments about the "wild west" or even rude comments about "redneck hicks" when Scott and a couple of other men carry their weapons. Barry likes to irritate them further by wearing a cowboy hat and doing an imitation of John Wayne or Clint Eastwood. But it is these same people who importune the gun owners to go to the store with them or take the night shifts at the neighborhood garden. The hypocrisy of it drives Scott nuts.

Thinking of all the gardening she needs to get done today, Sissy gives Scott and James a kiss as she entreats them to be careful, and to keep their masks, gloves and goggles on. She then heads out to the backyard to do a busy round of planting. Today Sissy is excited because she is planting corn! Not just corn but a number of other things she hopes will finally yield enough for her to start having some left over for preserving. She is also going to ask Mr. Jones if he knows of any empty space in the neighborhood where they can plant popcorn. Sissy knows you can't plant some varieties of corn near each other or they don't produce correctly. Popcorn is one that needs to be planted far enough away from sweet corn so that they can't cross-pollinate.

First thing Sissy does is harvest the last of the mustard and collard greens to clear up that portion of the garden for new plants. The weather is really warming up and the greens are starting to get bitter. She also harvests some broccoli and lettuce; both have done fairly well all things considered. The first of her Chinese cabbage looks like it will be ready to harvest in the morning so tomorrow's lunch will likely be homemade egg rolls. Lastly she pulls a whole row of beets. She is pretty sure she can pickle some beets tonight, keep some for her family and send a container to Mr. Jones who loves pickled beets nearly as much as she does and has been a real help in the neighborhood. Its nice to know they have enough that they can show their appreciation by sharing.

Sissy takes everything in so the girls can starting cleaning them. She tells Rose to bring out the beet tops when they are finished.

Rose grins and says, "Suckerrrrr!"

"Oh hush," says Sissy, blushing.

The girls all laugh as she heads back outside. They have good reason to tease her a bit. She is going to feed the beet tops to the gopher tortoises and peacocks that live in the orange grove. There have always been gopher tortoises in the grove, but the peacocks moved in a just a couple of weeks ago. Their cry is loud enough to wake the dead, and scary enough to put the newly risen back in the grave; especially if you don't know what it is you are hearing. A peacock call sounds like a woman's tortured cry.

Yeah, she is probably a sucker for feeding critters that aren't even hers, but she is going to do it anyway. She likes to watch them, and it doesn't hurt that it keeps them out of her garden. So far, peacocks aren't falling ill from the animal strain of the pandemic flu. Sissy isn't foolish enough to let the kids mess with them or their dropped feathers, but she isn't ready to run them out of Dodge with a gun yet either.

As she returns to gardening, Sissy is so glad Scott found all of those containers in one of the abandoned apartments. The woman living there must have intended on using them for something, or had looted them herself, but then had found them too bulky to take when her family decided to leave. Either way, 50 large flowerpots with their price tags still on them is suspicious. But she wasn't going to turn up her nose at them either. They are welcome addition to her resources. The family actually kept just 30 of them and left the rest for Barry and Tom to split between them.

It has been a lot of trouble to get all of these pots filled with dirt without making huge potholes in the orange grove. Luckily their rear neighbor offered them some dirt from around her pond area if they would dig some out for her as well. It was a good trade. The dirt from the banks of the large pond is full of organic matter and mixes well with the sand from the orange grove. Sissy further enriches the mixture by adding some compost. She finishes the mixture off by adding some of her other gardening supplies like perlite and a little slow release fertilizer. Sissy is sparing with the fertilizer. There won't be any more where that came from for a long time.

Into the pots Sissy plants another round of garbanzo beans, lima beans, garden huckleberry, husk tomatoes (aka ground cherry), different kinds of peppers, radishes, and several different varieties of tomatoes. The tomatoes are very important. Sissy stocked up on a lot of tomato products - spaghetti sauce, salsa, juice, paste, stewed, etc. – but at the rate the family uses them, they won't last out the year. She really needs to be able to can some more. Just as she plants the last tomato seedling, Scott and James return.

"Perfect timing! Were you able to get fuel?"

"Yep. But they had already changed the restrictions to 10 gallons. Got lucky though, they were letting every walk-up have 10 which meant that we were able to bring back 20 gallons between the two of us. Good thing I brought the extra container, huh?"

"Yes dear. You are da man. Its also a good thing James insisted on bringing the little red wagon," she laughs "or y'all woulda been a lot longer getting home. How many went and thought to bring some wheels this time?"

"We had six men and two boys. Tom got his son out of the house. He said the boy won't let his mom and little brother out of his sight since they were all so sick. Boy nearly panicked and wouldn't go because no one would be there to take care of them "in case." He was impatient and in a rush to get home the whole time. He nearly hyperventilated when we had to wait for a train to go by. Tom is really worried about the kid. He said he was having anxiety attacks pretty regularly."

"There are going to be a lot of people that can use some behavioral counseling when this is over with. I'm so not sorry we missed the on-air breakdown of that DJ the other night. Barry's wife said it was awful."

"Yeah, several people in the neighborhood are talking about that. Can't be any worse though than that doctor that put a gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger in the middle of that live, televised statement by the CA governor. A lot of kids around here saw it because they were supposed to analyze it for a social studies assignment. Whatcha wanna bet they don't assign any more live broadcasts?"

Shaking her head at the vagaries of life Sissy says, "For now we can only do what we can do and see to our own. The girls should have lunch just about ready and then I need you guys to move some stuff around for me."

Lunch is a pasta dish made from ramen noodles and canned ham with a fresh salad from the head of lettuce Sissy just harvested that morning. Everyone has a good appetite. Afterwards Rose volunteers to do all the clean up if Sarah and Bekah will get Johnnie down for his nap so that she can finish a paper she needs to submit as soon as the power comes back on. Scott and James go out to help Sissy with the rest of the planting.

"Now let's put those bathtubs to use that you brought back from those burned out apartments."

One of the runs Scott and his crew have made was for a property owner who had several apartments burn when someone was trying to cook over some candles. The whole complex didn't go, but six of the apartments are now uninhabitable, primarily due to smoke damage. The men had been paid – in cash no less – to clean out the units and seal them off. The deal was they could haul away anything so long as it didn't compromise structural integrity. They had brought back parts from ovens; refrigerators; washers and dryers; a couple of doors and door hardware; wire and conduit that could be salvaged for something; 7 toilets; and six bathtubs.

Tom Cox took the toilets. He thought he has figured out a way to build an outhouse that feeds directly into where his septic tank clean out opening is. If it works, he is going to see if anyone else would be willing to barter with him to install the system at their home.

Barry takes the washer and dryer parts. He is going to try and cobble together a second set of appliances set for his wife and daughter in law. They have started taking in Mr. Jones' laundry as a thank you for all he did while they were down ill. Barry also wants to try and fix Mrs. Cleary's dryer for the same reason. Most people in the neighborhood hang their laundry out to dry, but there are days when the weather makes this impossible. Scott thinks it's a great gesture on Barry's part if he can pull it off.

As for the bathtubs, they are about to be turned into part of a raised bed garden. In two of the tubs Sissy will plant sweet potatoes. In the other three she is going to try and plant some corn. In various places in their yard they are also planting cucumbers, peanuts, pumpkins, summer and winter squash varieties, and several different types of melons. "Oh," Sissy thinks to herself, "it will be so wonderful if all of the plants produce." If everything produces well, Sissy feels fairly certain there will be enough left over to preserve for off-season eating.

Sissy still can't get the idea out of her head that they are using their preps faster than she originally anticipated. Sure, they are going to last longer than the nine months she had originally figured, primarily because of the gardening. But, what about the economic recovery period post-pandemic?

Sissy manages to save some seeds from what they've grown following directions she found on the Internet; but she has no idea if they will germinate, especially the ones from the hybrid varieties. On the flu forums she read prepandemic, some folks were going on about heirloom varieties being more reliable for that. She wishes she had paid more attention to what that meant. It might be in one of her gardening books, but she hardly has time for any kind of research these days. Her life is already one long experiment as it is.

Overall, Sissy feels that she is fairly well informed about the various aspects of helping her family survive these trying times. But her goal is to do more for them than to help them just to survive today. She wants to make sure they survive the future as well. And not just survive, but have the ability to triumph over whatever life throws their way. She does worry about being over confident though. It seems just when they reach a certain comfort level, another curveball comes their way.


	31. Chapter 30

_**Chapter 30**_

A horrific cacophony of rumbling and screeching wakes everyone at what turns out to be one in the morning. Every window in the house rattles hard in their frames. Johnnie immediately wakes shrieking and the other four kids run to their parents' bedroom scared as well. Scott and Sissy throw on some clothes and go outside about the same time as other people in the neighborhood are pouring into the street. Just NNW of their street there is an orange glow in the sky. The fire lights the night just enough to see there is also black smoke billowing up.

"Explosion you think?"

"There ain't nothing over there that could explode like that."

"And what was all that racket before the explosion?"

"Train derailment."

"Train derailment?! You think?"

"That's the direction of where the tracks cross from the west side of US41 to the east."

"There's a gas station over there too."

"But its been closed for months now."

"Who's for walking up the road to see what it is?"

"But there's the curfew, and you know how strict they are about that!"

"Curfew hell. If that fire's gonna come this way I wanna know before its knockin' on my door."

About then Barry limps up. "Whoa there. No body better go up there yet. Ain't you got ears? Listen. That's automatic weapons fire. You men better get your families hunkered down. Fire might not be the only thing thinking of paying a visit tonight." Then sirens are added to the load of confusing sounds.

Barry pulls Scott aside and whispers, "If you want my guess someone's done tried to hijack one of those trains. You know the rumors, they're carrying everything from food to fuel to gold to vaccine. I bet some knucklehead decided to copycat that incident up in St. Louis. The gangs around here are getting bold enough that they could have gotten stupid."

"It could be anything. Whatever it is, everyone needs to get off the street. Damn, there goes Vince. He's heading up the street," replies Scott.

"Let him go. Some people would rather satisfy their curiosity than use their common sense. He ain't done nothing but live off his grandparents since he showed up back in October. Doesn't lift a hand to help them and they gotta be in their 70s. All he does is complain and talk about his big plans that he's had to put on hold. Guy is a craphead, nobody's loss if he gets himself shot."

"Man, Barry, that's harsh. I thought I was the only one around here with that low an opinion of humanity," returns Scott.

As the two men head back towards their homes Barry continues, "Yeah, I'm in good company I guess. I don't know what your excuse is, but I had to get that way after one of my own boys turned out to be a craphead. Trying to get him out and keep him out of trouble with the law . . . no matter what we did or how much money my first wife and I spent he would just turn around and cuss us for ruining his life and do what he had been doing before. It bankrupted us financially and was one of the biggest factors in our divorce. That boy of mine is – crap, maybe was as I don't know whether he is dead or alive - just selfish through and through and Vince is just like him."

Another explosion rocks the night followed by more gunfire and the two men flinched and ducked.

Barry hurriedly says, "I ain't getting home any faster knocking my gums. Look, if things do get bad . . . you are further up the street than I am. If you think you gotta bug out, fall back to my house. We'll figure it out from there."

"Thanks. If anything comes your direction first, you all head to our place."

"Done. See ya."

Scott, having seen Sissy return to their kids as soon as Barry had pointed out the gunfire, reaches home to find his wife in full General mode. Sissy has already marshaled James and Rose into installing the plywood and reinforcing braces on the few windows they have been leaving uncovered. Sarah and Bekah are moving bedding into Scott and Sissy's bedroom.

"Hon, can you help finish covering the windows? Then move those book cases in front of the French doors like we talked about? Girls, when you are done with the bedding, I want you to say in there and keep your little brother calm. I'm going to move some of our bug-out boxes into the bedroom. Rose, James, I want you two to roll the piano in front of the front door and lock the wheels."

Scott just lets her go to it. He knows this is her way of staying calm. Since early on they have gotten and kept their property pretty secure. Even if nothing comes of this night, he figures this is a good reminder of why they do it and an even better practice exercise. But he has a feeling this isn't just a drill. As soon as the kids are secured in their parents' bedroom, Scott douses the lantern and asks the kids to leave their flashlights off. Suddenly there is the sound of several large vehicles rumbling down the road to stop in front of their house.

"Remain indoors. Repeat, lay low and remain in doors. Hostile gunfire in the vicinity. Remain low and indoors," suddenly blares into the night from a loud speaker, followed by another small burst of gunfire. Scott, peaking through a spy hole he built into the window coverings, sees that the voice is coming from a National Guard vehicle that holds several soldiers with automatic rifles.

"Why aren't they at the end of the road? Why are the all the way back here?" Sissy asks quietly.

"They might be establishing a perimeter or something like that. I don't know. Barry said to come to his place if things get bad, but to be honest, I don't want to drag the kids out and through this. I don't know what it will come down to. Just be prepared. When was the last time you checked the bug out bags?"

"The other day when I was rotating some of my instant mixes. They are packed and ready to go. We'll just need to grab water. The kids also have a backpack of food and supplies and ready to go and then they have a satchel of their personal treasures to throw over their shoulders. I even fixed a bag for Johnnie to carry with a little canteen. Oh God, I pray it doesn't come down to us leaving this house," Sissy says nervously.

"I don't want to either. But you never know. Go and try and get the kids to at least lay down, even if they can't sleep. They will probably need the rest later on. Especially James. He's been acting jumpy again. I think Tom's boy may have set him off again with all his paranoia and anxiety about how things might go wrong."

As Sissy turned to go they hear, "Halt! Keep your hands where I can see them!"

"Wait man! I live here, down the street with my grandparents! Point that gun some place else man! Don't shoot!"

"Step into the light! Prepare to show your identification!"

Scott says, "That idiot. That's Vince Johnson. He doesn't have I.D. to prove he's living with his grandparents."

As they watch, Vince is cuffed with a nylon restraint and loaded into the back of a transport holding at least a dozen other people restrained in the same way. You can tell, even from a distance, that he is not happy with his treatment or current circumstances at all.

A sudden disturbance from out back sends them to the windows with peep holes on that side of the house, just in time to see a couple of uniformed officers wrestle a large man to the ground and put nylon restraints around his wrists and legs. A woman suddenly steps out of the darkest back corner of the yard and begins topoint what looks like a gun at the officers.

Without thinking about it Scott rips down the cover off of the window and screams, "Down! Woman with a gun behind you!" The cops drop just as the woman pulls the trigger. Another cop is on top of her in seconds.

"Oh . . . my . . . God. Was that Barry Jr.?!" Sissy whispers in a shocked voice.

"Yeah. It looked like him."

The uniforms take their prisoners out the side gate while one quickly give a thumbs-up in thanks.

The sporadic gunfire continues nearly 'til dawn. The kids finally fall into an exhausted sleep. Scott and Sissy lean against each other as the last of their adrenaline drains away. The National Guard truck full of prisoners pulls away Vince still among them. A mixed team of guardsmen and local law enforcement officers go door to door checking for any collateral injuries.

As the sun clears the horizon, Scott and Sissy cautiously go outside to survey the damage. After a quick look around they think their only damage is a gate swinging on one hinge and a couple of sections of downed fencing. That is until they got around to the west side of their house; the side that faces the grove.

"I can't believe we didn't hear that." Scott says while staring at the damage.

They just look, not truly believing what they are seeing. From the front corner of their house to the back, running in two more or less parallel lines, are small pock marks. One line runs just below the windows in the concrete block. The other runs above the windows and into the fascia that sides the gable end of the house. Sissy shakes while she tries to take deep breaths to keep hold of herself. Scott just stands looking, getting angrier the longer he looks.

"It has to have happened right before that scuffle in the back yard. Or . . . I don't know. . . there was so much noise and confusion."

"That's our bedroom wall. The kids were in there. I left the kids in there alone," Sissy says as she finally loses the fight to keep her tears in.

Scott wraps his arms around her and rests his chin on her head until she calms down. Finally finding her anger, Sissy grinds out, "We wanted to protect the kids from being hungry, so we prepped food. We wanted to protect the kids from being thirsty, so we prepped water and figured a way to get more when that ran out. We wanted to protect the kids from being sick so we developed an SIP plan and prepped medicines. We wanted to keep the kids safe so we prepped extra security measures and got to know our neighbors. But how the bloody blue blazes are we supposed to protect them from something like this?!"

Just as Scott opens his mouth on a pithy comment, Barry and Barry Jr. come through the side gate. "Well, son of a . . . Holy …. Mother F… Damn!" Barry stutters but finally just shakes his head. "Sorry Sissy, but my Gawd. I'm assuming no one got hurt or you all would be making more noise. But man, I'm fired up I'm here to tell you, just seeing this!"

As Sissy sputters a tearful laugh at Barry's antics, Barry Jr. walks over and shakes Scott's hand. After receiving an affirmative reply to his question about whether every one was OK he says, "The other guy with me, Bill Nelson, said to send his thanks with mine for the warning. I told Dad what you did back here."

"You're welcome. You would have done the same had our positions been reversed. So what was this all about anyway?" Scott asks.

"You know how understaffed we are. Since the big sickness its even worse. We're also dealing with fuel shortages and broken equipment. We've had to severely cut way back on our patrols. From what we've pieced together thus far is that at some point after dark, someone or a group of someones sabotaged the tracks right there were the train switches from one side to the other. Witnesses said that when the train derailed, a couple of cars slid into that propane store which is what started the explosions. It's a mess up there. The Lutz Volunteer Fire Department and a couple of other stations in the area are using heavy construction equipment to contain the blazes that are mostly on the west side of US41. We're lucky there wasn't anything but residuals in any of the holding tanks."

"So the big racket was the train derailment and initial explosion. But what was with everything else?"

"Its still under investigation but it looks like a group of people – presumably the same ones that sabotaged the tracks – were intent on looting the train after it was stopped. My guess is the plan started getting out of control when they got a bigger accident than intended. Bill was the one to call it in. He had been on his way home after a two week shift, and was just a half-mile north of the tracks when the train derailed."

"Unreal. Did anyone ever say what was on the train that they wanted so bad?"

"Some of those we arrested said they'd been told it was food. Others said money."

"What was on the train?"

"The only thing I've seen is machine parts. Bill said he talked to one of the security guys from the train who said it was mostly carrying tractors and spare parts on their way to the ag fields south of here. Y'all are lucky you have a concrete block house. Several houses between here and the tracks are frame and they took a beating."

Sissy asks, "Oh no. Who and how many injuries?"

"The only fatalities so far as I've heard were on the bad guys' side, and most of them are from the initial derailment when one of the train cars slid into where a group of them were hiding. We've got two officers with minor injuries, 12 combatants with injuries, and 6 civilians with injuries. One of them, Mr. D next door, has a crease in his head where a bullet went through his wall. He's refusing to go to the hospital. All the civilians are refusing to go to the hospital."

"Can't say I blame them," Barry puts in.

Scott says, "Yeah. Truthfully, given all the gunfire we heard last night I would have expected more injuries."

"No lights," Barry Jr. says.

"Huh?"

"No electric lights. No one could see what they were shooting at. That's how we were able to take most of them down. We didn't bother wasting ammo. We just followed their muzzle flashes."

"Where did civilians get that kind of fire power?"

"That's one of the things that's being investigated. That was some heavy crap that's for sure. They seemed to have everything but the kitchen sink and a rocket launcher. I gotta get back to the station, just wanted to check in and say thanks."

After the men shook hands and parted, Scott says that he is going to walk across the grove and make sure Mr. D's house is secure. Afterwards he is going to go up in the attic and see what kind of damage they have. That will probably take most of the day. They agree to let the kids sleep for as long as they want. In the morning, after everyone has a full night's sleep, he'll mix up some concrete patch and repair the pockmarks in the block work.


	32. Chapter 31

_**Chapter 31**_

It's been a little over three weeks since the night of the train derailment. Three blessedly boring weeks. No exploding propane tanks. No automatic gunfire. No humvees or military transports rumbling up and down the street. About the only excitement there has been is when the kids shrieked – with laughter – when Sissy made "green eggs and ham" omelets for St. Patrick's day by adding green food coloring to their powdered eggs.

Easter has also passed, but more quietly than in previous years. That suited the Chapman family just fine. They marked the holiday with traditional practices like resurrection rolls and hiding brightly colored plastic eggs for Sarah, Bekah, and Johnnie to hunt. They talked with relatives online to catch up on family news and sent over a basket of plastic eggs for Barry Jr.'s little girls to play with. Barry Jr.'s oldest girl is finally out of bed for most of the waking part of the day. She still tires easily when playing, but at least now she doesn't just watch her younger sisters from the sidelines. Her appetite has finally returned as well, but she is still rail thin. Their diets don't have a lot of fat in them. From somewhere Barry's wife has come up with some meal supplement drinks for kids; it was probably on the black market and Sissy doesn't really want to know how much they had to pay for them. Sissy used up all of the supplemental shakes that she had stashed when her own family was recovering.

Scott and his crew have made a couple more runs and report that at least in the areas of town that they go, all is quiet. Enough of their jobs pay cash that it is worth the fuel, and enough pay in barter that they don't have to spend all of their cash. Good deal all around for these times.

And then one night they hear some heartening news. There has been an important break through in the area of vaccines. A trial vaccine is being tested on humans and it appears to work. It is only proving effective against the main pandemic strain, but that is 70+% of current cases. It will still be months before it is available to the general public; manufacturing is at an all-time low. There remain questions about where the vaccine will be deployed first and for whom; but there is now a little more hope on the horizon.

The only cloud is the increasing concern about a terrorist attack. The worry is enough that statements are being issued by bi-partisan groups urging people to be vigilant in their communities and report any suspicious activity to local authorities. "Local authorities" think that is a good joke considering how over-worked and under-staffed they are. They can't run around investigating every potential lead that comes in. A group of dissidents had been arrested outside of DC, and they did have a cache of illegal weapons, but whether they are part of an imminent attack is still unclear.

The UN, the WHO, and the CDC have formed an unusually united front in their discussion of terrorism. Several delegates have mentioned that there could be sanctions, including being moved to the bottom of any vaccine list, for countries perpetuating acts of terrorism or giving refuge and/or aid to terrorist groups.

On the home front, Scott manages to repair the bullet holes in their block wall with concrete patch. He even manages to paint the wall over with matching paint left over from the original paint job last summer. The patches show in a couple of places, but over all it is better than it had been which is a psychologically helpful thing for the family.

The vinyl fascia takes more ingenuity. Scott fills the holes and cracks with color-matched latex caulk. Up in the attic he patches the plywood side with wood putty. The worst damage though is where the bullets that had gone through the fascia continued into the roof. He uses the wood putty to fill these holes as well. After the putty cures, he paints over the area with some roofing tar. He also tars that area on the shingle side of the roof. Tacking the fence back up and reinstalling the gate hasn't been that difficult. One of the gate hinges was bent but a hammer and some muscle fixed that. The repairs aren't perfect, but they don't look half-bad either and the house is back to being weather tight, which is what really matters.

Now that warmer weather is here, water conservation is even more important. Average rainfall in their area for the month of April is only 1.80 inches. By the end of the month daytime temperatures will average 90 degrees Fahrenheit. This will mean more sweating which requires more fluid replacement in the form of drinking water. This will be especially true whenever the utilities are down.

Watering all the plants by hand takes a lot of their stored water when the power is out. Even when the power is on they try to be frugal and only water when they absolutely have to. Scott tries to figure out an irrigation system, but he isn't having much luck. For now they are making do, and it is working.

Sissy continues to harvest things from the garden including cabbages, onions, carrots, celtuce, shallots, peas, amaranth, radishes, and snap beans. They also plant cardoon and add consecutive plantings of snap beans, corn, tomatoes, and watermelons to get as much out of the growing season as they can.

James, Sarah, and Bekah have built some "cages" to go over the various plants because the raccoons are really getting bold. They have a couple of raccoons that are even coming out during the day time. Mr. D offers them parts of his old hunting dog kennel if they will help him strip the last of the citrus off of his trees. Sissy is going to preserve as many quarts of fruit segments of this as she can to help both families out. James is planning to rebuild the kennel over the top of the corn to keep squirrels out.

By the end of the month the citrus trees will have small marble-sized fruit. Some tropical colors are reappearing in the landscape. The hibiscuses are in bloom to replace the azaleas. The smell of confederate jasmine has replaced the smell of orange blossoms. And the bottlebrush tree and bougainvillea bushes are showing themselves to advantage. The mosquitoes are back with a vengeance. And since the pest control companies are not operating, people are beginning to have really bad problems with ants and roaches. That's Florida for you, but it doesn't make it any less irritating.

Sissy figures she is pretty lucky. She paid particular attention to the potential problem of insect infestations in her preps. She addresses pests in her garden with organic solutions. She tries to do the same with the insects in the house, but certainly doesn't say no when Scott sprays with the professional strength stuff he uses at the apartments. Between sprayings, her primary defense is Borax.

They do have one problem that they aren't going to be able to avoid much longer. Their kids are growing. Rose isn't a problem, she reached her full size a couple of years ago and has a decent wardrobe that is still in good repair. Sarah and Bekah are still growing, but there are lots of hand me downs for them to use. Johnnie also has boxes of hand-me-downs and Sissy has patterns and material that she can use to sew if that isn't enough. But James is down to one pair of pants, two pairs of shorts and a couple of his dad's old shirts.

Scott has tried to find him something at the neighborhood market but anything available is either way too big or way too small. Scott says he will keep a look out when he is out and about. In the prepandemic months Sissy bought clothes for James that were a size larger thinking that would be enough, but he has already outgrown them. Her plan of last resort is to cut down some of Scott's jogging clothes, but he really needs jeans for when he works in the grove or helps her with gardening and yardwork. After clothes will come shoes for Bekah and Johnnie, but that is a problem for another day. Sissy is hoping desperately that she can figure out a solution for James before she has to start cutting down clothes. She and Scott have had to make adjustments to their own clothing already. It's one of the downsides to losing so much weight. Nothing fits anyone the way it used to. And hard work and harsh laundry practices are wearing clothes out more quickly than before.

One funny thing has happened. Mrs. Cleary has found a new use for raccoons. She had her husband and Mr. Jones catch and skin a couple that had been targeting the neighborhood garden. Then, following an old "receipt" from her grandmother's diary, she fried it up and added the meat to the neighborhood stone soup. Some people were leery, but those who did eat it said it just added a mild, gamey kind of taste to the stew. "Meat is meat," was the most often heard comment.

Mrs. Cleary said the only tricky part was making sure all the glands were cut out the right way. "After that, cooking 'coon isn't any different than cooking chicken. And it's a lot cheaper."


	33. Chapter 32

_**Chapter 32**_

Things remain relatively quiet in Tampa as April turns into May. After nine months of pandemic living most people are just too tired and hungry to get up to causing a ruckus. They've seen the potential problems with group gatherings. Many have been affected by violence and have no desire or ability to continue the cycle by perpetuating it. That isn't true of everyone everywhere all of the time, but overall things are definitely calmer than in the opening weeks of the pandemic. Of course, there are random bursts of civil unrest here and there, but for now things remain settled.

Even New York City has finally calmed, due probably in large part to the fact that less than a quarter of the original population remains in the city. A federal investigation into the effects of the mass exodus of New York City reveals the following timeline:

 _The first confirmed cases within the city were not the result of a foreign national arriving at Newark or JFK airports, but a lowly traveling computer salesman. Upon hearing the news of an impending pandemic while at a convention in Arizona, the salesman – known as NYC Index Case 1 – drove his rented car back to the state as quickly as he could to be with his mother who lived alone in a miniscule apartment in the Bronx. His return was two days before most of the AZ hotel staff where he was staying were quarantined with flu-like symptoms. On the NYC end, the index case was so difficult to pinpoint at first due to the unexpectedness of its origin, and due to the confusion of the quick explosion of cases in "Meals on Wheels" volunteers. This mobile group of people spread the virus much faster and wider than it was ever planned for in even the worst case scenarios.  
_  
 _Within days of the pandemic being a confirmed reality in the continental U.S., a mass exodus of NYC began. This exodus was primarily made up of the wealthy and the middle class who thought they had a place to go outside of the city – cabins in upper New York state, relatives in New Jersey, summer homes in Connecticut, etc. Most roads were quickly un-navigable due to gridlock. The bridges (like the GW, Verrazano, and other river bridges) and tunnels (like the Lincoln and the Holland) were quickly clogged with vehicles. Then, despite exits from the city being closed by the National Guard and local law enforcement – these closures included the ferries and other commercial waterway traffic - "escapees" quickly overran all of the blockades. People also tried to paddle out over the Hudson River in anything that would float.  
_  
 _The outbound NYC refugees poured into places like Ft. Lee, Jersey City, Trenton, Stamford, Bridgeport, Weehawken, Teaneck, Hackensack, Maywood, and Paramus. Many, who had expected to be taken in by family and friends, found themselves forcibly turned away – sometimes at gunpoint. Finding no refuge there, they continued north, south, and west like locusts, staying only long enough to run through an area's resources or to succumb to infection.  
_  
 _Those people who remained in NYC did so mostly with the misconception that someone somewhere was responsible for filling the gap where they had failed to prepare for a disaster. This despite the fact that many New Yorkers had seen first hand what a catastrophe could mean when they experienced the 9-11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Even near misses by hurricanes, such as the deadly 1938 hurricane that came to be known as the Long Island Express, Carol in 1954, Donna in 1960 and Gloria in 1985 did not convince residents or city planners that having catastrophic preparations in place was a good idea.  
_  
 _Then the power went off. Hospitals failed, as did most public health facilities.  
_  
 _As reality began to set in throughout the city, some continued to wait in vain for help and some started going out and taking what they thought they needed or wanted through uninhibited looting. Everything disappeared quickly. There simply was no more to take. Even getting fresh water was becoming a problem as electricity was required to draw drinking water from reservoirs many miles from the city. Most of the remaining water sources were undrinkable because they were brackish, a mixture of fresh and salt water sources.  
_  
 _There were some neighborhoods that didn't fall prey to panic and violence, but that was because in such locations there was already a well-established presence by a group or individual. These groups or individuals would brook no interference, no transgressions. They were proof that a strong arm was at least as important as a quick mind in determining who was boss and what rules people were going to follow. Of course, this wasn't always proof against viral infection, but it at least afforded an illusion of normalcy for those living there. Many apartment buildings became the only island of refuge for their tenants, assuming all of the tenants cooperated with that concept.  
_  
 _When there was no more to take from the shelves, people began to prey on each other. There was some established gang activity but nothing compared to what the West Coast was going through at that time. The problem was that people eventually began to band together to create new gangs; but, congregating together exposed even more people to infection. The gangs offered some protection, but left people vulnerable to violence and infection. Not a good trade.  
_  
 _At this point, the weather hadn't turned raw yet, but the stench of uncollected garbage and the sick and dying proved too much for many, so there was a secondary exodus from the city with all its accompanying problems. This group was even less equipped than the first that left the city. They had no friends or family they could expect to take them in. They had no resources to take with them. And any resources they expected to find outside of the city were long gone or well protected by those that held them.  
_  
 _Now, even those dedicated few that had remained . . . the health care professionals, local law enforcement, workers at all levels in a wide variety of fields . . . realized that there was nothing more they could do. Those that had not left before now left the city at the tail end of the secondary exodus. This set off another round of widespread violence as the people remaining in the city felt they were being abandoned. There was some attempt by the Federal government and the State of New York to evacuate the elderly, but many simply refused to leave. Some of the ethnic strongholds also refused to evacuate.  
_  
 _Because of the extraordinary amount of violence, the federal government felt it could not afford to risk its own dwindling numbers of personnel and resources to re-supply a city that, by-and-large, refused to do anything but flame like a Roman torch. Some of the worst violence was a result of ethnic and/or religious issues. It was like having miniature versions of the Middle East, Eastern Europe and parts of Africa all rolled into the confines of a dying city.  
_  
 _Then winter weather began to set in. The frail and elderly as well as the young and vulnerable that had thus far escaped both infection and the violence, quickly succumbed to the added problem of winter weather conditions. These fatalities further emptied the city of inhabitants.  
_  
 _Eventually infection rates and attrition due to violence decimated the remaining population of the city. There are still roving – and violent – bands of people, but they are more loosely aligned and can be found primarily outside of the city proper. You would no more walk around New York City alone now than you would have prior to the city-wide clean up led by Rudy Guilliani in the 80s.  
_  
 _With the advent of spring, roof top gardens can be seen by air patrols of the city. There is little chance of producing all the food they need, but at least people are trying. There is also evidence of cooperation within neighborhoods to clear debris from the streets and institute some organization back into their lives. Some neighborhoods have barricaded themselves off from the rest of the city using scavenged material and now rusting and useless cars.  
_  
 _With some semblance of self-control and order now in evidence, the federal government has expressed a hope that they can once again attempt to re-supply the remaining citizens of NYC. Whether this will work, or whether it will spark another round of civil unrest remains to be seen.  
_  
Unlike in New York, May is the month of plenty at Scott and Sissy's home. In another way, it is also a month of worry. The family harvests a bumper crop from their gardening. They bring in burdock, parsnips, potatoes, sunflowers, black eye peas, several varieties of shelling beans, cantaloupes, more Jerusalem artichokes, lima beans, okra, garden huckleberries, husk tomatoes (aka ground cherries), both hot and mild peppers, and the first of the summer squash and tomatoes. The kids have a blast with the sunflowers, but it sure is hard work to keep the squirrels out of them. For all that though, May is the first month they are unable to plant things because of the recommended growing seasons of the seeds they have available to them. It is getting too hot, with too little rainwater, to expect seedlings to survive.

Complicating things further, while May gets a little more rain than April – not much, just an inch – the hot weather is quickly depleting their drinking water reserves. The water that remains in their pool is also evaporating at a quicker rate. The rolling black outs are occurring more often and lasting longer because of increasing energy demands. So far TECO is able to cope, but several smaller electric cooperatives in rural districts are beginning to fail. Scott and Sissy deal with each of these issues as best they can. They have little choice but to deal with the situation.

They can't change the growing seasons so they are doing the best with what they have already planted. Sissy is preserving everything that they don't eat fresh. That isn't as much as Sissy had hoped. She had underestimated the combined effect of a lot of manual labor and loss of utilities. Lots of hard work means a higher caloric need than the 2000 cal/day that she had prepped for.

They are trading very little food at the barter market. Nothing that comes their way goes to waste. As an example, a raccoon turned over a pot that held a tomato plant. Sissy was just plain furious as it had been loaded with fruit. She tried to save it but the plant was too shocked and the main stem had broken. Rather than allow it to be a total loss, she pulled the green tomatoes and made things like fried green tomatoes, green tomato pie, green tomato hash, green tomato cake, and green tomato mincemeat. The remaining leaves and stems went into the compost heap.

They also can't make more water. With only 2.5 inches of rain for the month, they are heavily dependent on water storage when the power is off for extended periods of time. Scott has his family really tighten their personal water restrictions. They must be extremely diligent to gather every drop of rain they can. They also give other forms of water harvesting a try, like condensation farming and dew gathering, with limited success. They are very careful to refill every empty water container they can scrounge up when the power is on and run water to their pool to at least partially refill it when they can.

Scott and Sissy can only effect the power going up and down in a limited manner. When the power is on they limit their power consumption to clothes washing, water needs, and canning and cooking. If the power is on they also run the air conditioning at night to drive out the humidity. They leave the air conditioner off during the day because they are in and out working anyway. They make ice when they can and when the power is off they keep it for iced drinks. When the power is on they bake bread. When the power is off they fix their bread using alternative cooking methods, or they do without.

The hurricane season is fast approaching as well. Even a hit by a tropical storm could be disastrous under current circumstances. People are living on the edge; a weather event of any magnitude will put a number of people over the edge.


	34. Chapter 33

_**Chapter 33**_

June has arrived like the proverbial lamb. Scott and Sissy decide to stop worrying about what could happen next semester and celebrate what their kids have accomplished this semester. Rose completed her highschool educational goals and as far as Scott and Sissy are concerned has graduated.

Though the family home educates their children, they had planned on participating in a graduation ceremony sponsored by FPEA (Florida Parent Educators Association) which is a statewide homeschool support group. Of course large gatherings are now prohibited, nor do people have the gas or money to travel to the annual Orlando function even if it was allowed. Instead, several volunteers have gotten together and created a graduate website to showcase each graduate that submitted their information, complete with picture if desired. They also recorded a downloadable graduation ceremony with names being called out and with applause soundbites following each name. The sponsors of the website had to get special permission from the State because of the bandwidth required to operate the website.

Another neat feature of the website is that kids can sign a virtual yearbook. The concept is rather ingenious and several public and private schools are viewing it as a potential model for their autumn graduation events in case public gatherings are still prohibited. Unfortunately, along with the graduation page there is a "in memoriam" page for homeschool seniors that did not live to see their graduation. After Sissy catches the kids looking at each name in morbid fascination she sits down and has a long discussion with them. The kids are handling their situation superficially well, but things like the memory page or a news broadcast can disturb the precarious emotional balance they try so hard to maintain. Raising kids is never easy, but there is so much that you have to watch out for these days.

Rose and James have behaved amazingly well for your average teenager, all things considered. They settled down admirably after it was finally and irrevocably show that sequestering them was the best option for family's well being and safety.

Scott and Sissy's kids are no more immune to bad days than Scott and Sissy themselves are. No one is perfect but everyone is trying their best most of the time to work as constructively within the situational confines as possible. Their family wouldn't be able to function successfully if the kids weren't on board. The kids have their importance and contributions recognized regularly. Scott and Sissy receive acknowledgement of their responsibility and authority from their kids. All family members try to behave respectfully to each other even under difficult and stressful circumstances. Scott and Sissy try to keep their own relationship healthy and respectful so that they can set a good example for the kids. Consistent reinforcement is the key to good family management. By having everyone work together, cooperatively and respectfully, the great good of the family and its members are served best. Scott and Sissy's family operates as a team; a winning team.

In addition to Rose graduating and having her birthday, Scott and Sissy's other children have completed their year's academic work successfully. They decide to have a party and call some friends and relatives and email others to celebrate. Sissy cooks a canned ham, black eyed peas, cornbread, fried squash, fixes a salad of cantaloupe and huckleberries, and bakes a no-egg spice cake she fills with canned apple pie filling between the layers and a dusting of powdered sugar for the frosting. Scott even makes up diplomas and plaques for the kids and he takes pictures of them using the digital camera he has kept charged. It may be some time before they can have the pictures printed up, but at least they'll have some record of the day saved.

Speaking of pictures, one of the tasks Sissy has been keeping up with is a journal. Sometimes the journal is handwritten and sometimes it is computer printed. Sometimes there are pictures, magazine cut outs or pasted newspaper articles and sometimes there are hand drawings. Every family member participates several times a week by adding something, but Sissy makes sure that she writes in it every day. There are menus and recipes, inventories of barter items, tales of danger and tales of kindness. It's turning out to be as much a therapeutic exercise for everyone as it is a chronicle of the pandemic. They call it their "ship's log" though Scott has been known to slip and call it something much ruder – and more stinky – when he begins to enumerate what went on during those days he is out and about in the community.

The last couple of entries show that Sissy, James, and Sarah have planted the last of their Jerusalem artichokes, peppers, and some zucchini and crookneck squash, praying that the plants can survive the harsh summer heat that has arrived with a vengeance. The log also shows they've harvested the last of the potatoes, salsify, cardoon, celeriac, snap beans, garbanzo beans, and cucumbers. Scott used a pitchfork to dig the peanuts and then hung the plants to cure so that the unshelled peanuts can be pulled and stored in mesh bags for later use. They continue to harvest tomatoes and Sissy turns these into juice, paste, pasta sauce, salsa, and ketchup. They've also harvested pumpkins and winter squash varieties. Further north people store hard-skinned squash in their shells but due to Florida's heat and humidity Sissy must can what they can't eat right away. They also begin harvesting watermelons, though they lose two to an enterprising raccoon that Sissy wound up having to trap and dispose of. Scott gave it to Barry who dealt with it the way Mrs. Cleary advised him to … breaded and fricasseed.

The first of June is also the beginning of the dreaded hurricane season. Luckily Scott and Sissy have a solar powered weather band radio. Other people in the neighborhood are taking turns starting up their cars when the power is off to get the news. The first tropical storm of the season came and went with no more than a little wind and a slight breeze but another is out there and is causing some significant worries for the few forecasters that the American Meteorological Society still has on staff. It looks like it might reach hurricane strength and hit somewhere along the East Coast of the US, anywhere between Jacksonville, FL and the Carolina Coastal region. It is too early to tell, but folks are definitely concerned.

Its a very warm morning for the Chapman family. Humidity is near 100 percent after last night's rain with temperatures hovering in the 90s. While Scott is off on a work run, Sissy and the kids are nearly finished with the morning chores when they head inside for lunch and to wait out the worst of the day's heat as best they can. Sissy especially feel the effects of the heat. Even though she never caught the virus like the rest of her family, she has been the slowest to recover both physically and mentally from the whole episode. And ever since the violence of the night of the train derailment Sissy has suffered stressed-induced headaches, some of them nauseatingly debilitating. The heat only compounds the everything.

Suddenly, down the road comes an unusual sight. A large semi rolls in from US41 and backs into their driveway. It takes a minute, but Sissy realizes it is her little brother's rig right before he steps down from the cab. If she hadn't known him so well she would not have recognized him. The past months have not been kind. He has lost a lot of weight and he has more gray in his hair than she does. He looks far older than he should at 36 years of age. The mask and goggles he is wearing do not help either. But his same old prankster grin is in place as he strips off some of his PPE and says, "Hi Sis! Should I have called before stopping by?"

Sissy gives him a quick hug and a swat as she tries to pull him inside. He stops, saying, "I can't stay long. Look, I found out those SOBs over at the depot are only going to pay me a quarter of what I was promised to haul this load in. It will cover fuel costs, but that's it. Well, I've decided that if they are only going to pay me a quarter, that's all the load they are going to get. I'm meeting a guy I used to work with at the Volunteer Fire Department in Dover in two and a half hours. I'm off-loading about half of what I've got there. I stopped by Mom and Dad's place and gave them some of this stuff already. I've got some pulled for my family, and I thought you all could use some." That wicked twinkle is back in his eyes as he finishes up by saying, "Not to mention is was just too good an excuse not to come visit my big sister."

His shocking arrival and the sudden largesse he offers is eclipsed by the fact he has actually seen their parents in person. Her heart gives a leap and she quickly asks, "You actually got to see Mom and Dad? How are they doing? How long did you get to see them? How did you get there? I 75 or US19? We've been having a terrible time catching each other online and our phone service is terrible. I've just been worried sick since Dad ran out of his pills."

Her brother smiles realizing despite being over a year since they have seen each other, she is the same old Sissy. Talking a mile a minute and asking questions quicker than he can come up with answers. "I pulled into their place right at dusk to wait out the curfew, stayed overnight, then came here by I75. They keep a lane clear that is rigs-only. Fewer cars in the other lanes too, so it wasn't bad. They've finally finished pushing most of the disabled cars off the road. As far as Mom and Dad go, a doctor in town moved in next to them and has been getting their meds for them in exchange for Dad keeping an eye on things when he is on rounds. Momma's been cooking for him and doing his laundry."

"Moved next to them? Did that couple from Alaska sell that front five acres?"

Soberly her brother responds, "Well, no . . . look, I hate to be the one to tell you . . . but the Bodettes both died."

"What?! When?! But . . . Momma and Daddy never said a word."

"You know the Bodettes weren't young. Mr. Bodette just kind of gave up after their granddaughters both died. They both just kind of gave up. Mamie got sick with something, it wasn't the flu. Mr. Bodette had a heart attack. Their son had been staying with 'em cause his wife had kicked him out again for carousing. They were buried the same day. The doctor is some kind of relation to Mamie."

"Momma and Daddy must be feeling awful. The Bodettes were our first friends when we moved to Florida. We've known them – knew them – for over 30 years."

"Mom and Dad are OK. The Bodettes went together. I think the thing Mom and Dad worry about most is if one or the other gets left behind. I think they prefer the idea of going together like the Bodettes did."

"Well I prefer the idea of neither one of them 'going'." she humphs.

"I hear that. Look, I hate to ask, but do you have anything food-wise that you can spare; anything at all? I'm trying to get the boys to come live with me. I don't know how long this fresh stuff will last us." he quietly asks, a bit shamefacedly.

"We'll figure something out, but not where the neighbors can see or hear. They're mostly good folks but a few of them talk too much if you know what I mean. Is something up with the boys' mother? She hasn't taken my phone calls since way before Christmas. The only thing I've heard I've gotten second hand from Daddy. Mom is still too upset to talk about it since their calls are no longer being accepted either."

As they begin unloading stuff from the back of the rig Sissy brother explains, "You know she and her new husband were basically living on disability and the money I paid in child support. Well they've lost their disability payments because they failed to follow through on the required volunteer hours they were assigned. They thought they could get out of it because of their "conditions" and this time they've paid the piper. Their mother is now screaming for my blood because I can't pay child support. I've been out of work. I'd pay it if I had it, but I don't; all our savings is gone. Lucky for me the courts aren't hearing any civil cases at this time. It's a mess. Big T won't talk to me and prefers to stay with his mom. He's holding me responsible for their change in circumstances even though I had nothing to do with them losing their monthly check. Most everyone is in the same boat. He's nearly 16 and thinks he knows all the _real_ reasons this is happening. Little B though wants to come live with me. His Momma is hold our whole family responsible and has said she is cutting everyone off form the boys until she is paid what she is owed from me. But with her husband's kids coming to live with them – and she ain't too happy about that let me tell you – I'm hoping there might be a chance to work something out, like having the boys come live with me for a while."

As they step inside with a load of boxes Sissy tells him, "I've got some rice and other things I'll give you that should last you a little while if you piece it out with this fresh stuff. What is in all of these crates anyway? It looks like some of these have Daddy's handwriting on them."

Nodding his head he replies, "Yeah. Some of this stuff is from them. There are some blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and some sparkleberries. Plus Momma sent you all sorts of patterns and material and God knows what all. They're clearing their place. I don't know what all they stuffed in these boxes. Momma says they are downsizing."

"Why? They might need this stuff! And I know some of these dishes are family heirlooms," as she reaches into one of the boxes and pulls out an old ceramic pickle crock and a large glass butter bell.

"I hate to say this but with things going like they are, we might have to move up there with them. I've got more trucking contacts in that area and I'd be closer to the fields for direct hauling. My wife can help mom and dad and the boys will be better off out of the city. Big T is hanging with some crapheads and his mother thinks they are just being boys despite the cops having brought him home twice now that I know about, and I suspect more often than that. I checked public records and she and her husband have fines stacking up against them for failing to comply with social distancing and curfew rules. Not to mention, out in the country I know I can at least feed my family better than I can here. Daddy has hardly used any of his ammo yet 'cause the Doc keeps bringing stuff to 'em that people barter him for services."

Giving him a look to let him know that she understands his concerns, "You'll be able to help Dad with the heavy stuff too. But what about your stuff here, your house?"

Shrugging he says, "We've talked it out and everything but one of the cars will fit in my trailer. I just need a ramp. If you all will watch the car until I can make another run this way, I'll pick it up from here. The house . . . well, there isn't much we can do about that. It is what it is. It's getting no safer with us living there. People down our way are getting real peculiar. Wish our neighborhood had banded together like yours did. There is so much suspicion in our area that people answer the door – if they bother answering – with guns drawn. Two families around the corner from us were intentionally burned out of their homes just because someone thought they had food stockpiled. Or maybe it was fuel. I didn't get the whole story because it happened while I was bad sick. Now that I'm back on the road, I'm scared to leave my wife alone."

They continue talking back and forth while the kids finally take their turn crowding around him for attention. Sissy packs up rice, dried beans, powdered broth, brown sugar, salt, and ten pounds of flour. She also throws in some easy flatbread recipes, five pounds of popcorn, and a small stash of feminine necessities she thinks her sister in law will appreciate. It ate into her storage but compared to seeing him and getting some real news about her parents' lives, not to mention all the produce and stuff he had taken the time to bring by, it was nothing. Her brother soon left and Sissy beginss dealing with everything her brother has brought. She will shed a few tears tonight as she recounts the story to Scott, but for now there isn't time.

First Sissy deals with the produce that includes nearly 10 bushels of snap beans that had been machine picked and originally destined for a NC cannery. She lays them out on sheets in the house to keep them from souring in the heat. She sets the girls to cleaning and snapping them as quickly as they can. She takes nearly a gallon of the beans over to where they are fixing the weekly batch of stone soup. The people tending the fire can clean and snap the beans straight into the cook pots.

Answering her neighbors' curious questions she just tells them her parents sent her some stuff and left it at that. She likes her neighbors well enough but she is an inherently private person and she remains cautious about sharing her personal information. Luckily her brother was able to pull his rig back to within just a few feet of her front door. The "L" shape of the house prevented people from seeing what they were doing on one side. The other side was screened from view by foliage and the orange grove. Despite these precautions, Scott is sure to be grilled by the gossips the next time he goes to the market.

Sissy hurries back to the house to find that Rose and James have already started going through the remaining produce. There are tomatoes from Ruskin, but most of them have some green on them so they will need to sit and ripen. There are peanuts from up at the Florida/Georgia border, but they look pretty green as well. There are about two dozen watermelons, about four bushels of cucumbers, a dozen pumpkins, and what amounts to about three bushels of different varieties of squash. There is also about four gallons of blueberries and twice that many blackberries and raspberries. And there are some weird looking fruit from south Florida called sopadillas that she doesn't know what to do with.

It is an incredible bounty. The tomatoes will be canned in various forms. The peanuts will be dried in their shells and later roasted and ground into fresh peanut butter because they are quickly running out. The watermelon will be eaten fresh and then the rinds will be pickled or made into watermelon rind preserves. Some of the cucumbers will be used fresh but many of them will find themselves being brined for canning. She will bake the pumpkins as she needs them, for as long as they will keep, as she still had plenty of commercially canned pumpkin puree. Or she'll make a batch of pumpkin chips if she has time. The squash she will try to eat fresh as well but she may have to can some. The small fruit will be canned in various forms, and some of the blackberries made into blackberry shrub for summer drinking as she is running out of lemonade syrup. She is pretty sure the sapodillas have to be eaten fresh, but that is a research project to tackle later in the day.

Sissy hopes she has enough empty jars for what she needs to do. She bought a large case of rings and seals before the pandemic, but they won't last forever either. With so many snap beans she thinks she will give making leather britches a try. That is where you string snap beans on a string and leave them to dry. She isn't sure if it will work or not because humidity usually causes the beans to sour and grow fuzzy mold. If the power comes back on soon enough, she will definitely be drying what she can in her electric dehydrator trays. Now might also be a good time to experiment with a homemade dehydrator that they can set up on the lanai. The screening will keep the bugs out and it can be used even with the power off.

So much to do, and not near enough time to do it in. Sissy realizes she will also need to deal with whatever Scott manages to bring home this evening. She is tired of being tired. She doesn't have any choice but to keep on going and dealing with situations as they arise.. She would rather have to deal with being tired now than seeing her kids go hungry later. She imagines this is very similar to what pioneer women used to feel in early American history or any woman who lived before the 1950's. Their families survived and so will hers; she is determined to see to it.


	35. Chapter 34

_**Chapter 34**_

All day Scott and Sissy have been listening to the solar radio while they do their chores. They keep it in the sun where it can maintain its charge, but they also have several rechargeable batteries prepared, as well as a second radio that operates on a crank dynamo just in case. And they have neighbors coming by to listen from the other side of their privacy fence.

It started as a typical tropical wave off of Cape Verde, Africa. As it moved westward it turned into a tropical storm, and received its name - Edouard. And then it became a hurricane, rapidly intensifying to Category 5 strength. But at that point it was still well out in the Atlantic and nearly 1,000 miles from any land. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) frantically tracked its movements to try and give the public as much warning as possible in case it made landfall. They nearly lost a NOAA plane and its crew doing so. No one could say for sure what it is going to do. The track is very wide and its strength makes it unpredictable.

As the day progresses the hurricane loses some of its strength when it scrapes the Caribbean, passing over Guadeloupe, the Leeward Islands, and St. Croix, weakening to a category 3 when it makes a brief landfall at Vieques, Culebra, and the eastern tip of mainland Puerto Rico, while undergoing an eyewall replacement cycle (ERC). The storm continues to weaken after leaving the warm waters of the Caribbean to a category 2. But any hope that it will dissipate all together is short lived as it quickly re-strengthens when it passes over the Gulf Stream. Five days after leveling Montserrat, Edouard smacks head long into the East Coast of the USA.

Originally forecast to come ashore in Savannah, Georgia the storm takes a belated northeast turn towards Charleston, South Carolina. The storm makes landfall at a place called McClellanville, South Carolina late in the evening as a category 4 hurricane with 135 mph winds.

The family listens to the reports coming in from all over the Caribbean and the East Coast, detailing the destruction and the response - or lack of response - of rescue operations.

The Caribbean, except for a very few privately owned islands, has reverted to very primitive facilities since the pandemic began. Most island infrastructures have collapsed so accurate reports on loss of life is the subject of much debate. Several mass graves have been noted, but it is unknown if these are truly victims of the hurricane, pandemic flu victims who were recently buried, or cadavers that were washed out of existing cemeteries. On Montserrat, 90 percent of all buildings are reported destroyed, but again, the veracity of the statement is unknown as civil unrest was severe in the opening days of the pandemic and continues in the aftermath of the hurricane damage. Heavy rains have caused severe flooding in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Nearly 30,000 people are reported to have been made homeless as a direct result of the hurricane. There is no infrastructure or international aid in operation to affect ready resettlement for these victims.

Scott and Sissy are horrified by the newest reports of extensive damage in Charleston, South Carolina. Many barrier islands where some people retreated to as a way to control their exposure to panflu are completely cut off from the mainland. Bridges are down. Boats have been pushed inland. A twenty-foot storm surge is said to have wiped some islands completely clean of all buildings, roads and inhabitants making them appear virginal and newly risen from the ocean. In addition to the storm surge along the coast, inland areas are reporting in excess of 10 inches of rainfall.

Federal services are already stretched too thin to address the pandemic, much less suddenly expand to address hurricane relief. There is no significant Salvation Army or Red Cross presence to go to the aid of residents, having collapsed months ago due to lack of volunteers and physical resources. Local services tried to get the warnings out to the public in the days preceding the storm's landfall, but lack of electrical services - which means no television or radio for most people - prevented the warnings from reaching everyone, especially those in isolated rural settings. Staff from local law enforcement agencies and fire department personnel went street to street with megaphones trying to encourage people to evacuate with only limited success. Two hundred and fifty thousand should have evacuated, but it now appears less than half that number did. Some mass transit and school buses were pulled into service to get people out but some of the transports broke down or ran out of gas before reaching their drop off points. Most people wanted to know where they were supposed to go with no public shelters? Would their homes be looted if they left and couldn't get back?

It was fortuitous that the worst of Edouard's fury is spent over a sparsely populated rural area of South Carolina near the Frances Marion National Forest. After the storm, hundreds of trees are found shorn off at the 15 to 20 foot level. Everywhere streets are reported strewn with mangled debris and household goods. There are also bodies amongst the flotsam.

The storm did not just hit coastal areas. . Berkely County - 80 miles inland - reports wind gusts to 120 mph. Even 200 miles inland the storm still packs winds up to 100 mph. Charlotte, NC was the next major metropolitan area ravaged.

As the Chapman family and their neighbors listen, the State of Virginia is reporting torrential rainfall and Sissy thinks of her cousin Sadie and whether she and her family are safe. Their roads flood in snow melt. How will they fair at the hands of a tropical storm? The last weather report has the storm heading north towards Canada. All everybody in the neighborhood can think is "that could have been us" followed closely by "are we next?"

"Wowee. That coulda been us." Barry exclaims.

"Yeah. We do not need those kinds of problems. Besides all of the obvious stuff like people suffering, I've got a list twice as long as my arm of delayed maintenance items that would make a storm hit that much worse. That second-story roof over on 13th keeps me up at night. We can only patch it so much. Another bad storm and I don't know what'll happen." Scott adds with a weary sigh.

"Only can do so much. I still can't believe that chick was letting her kids climb on the roof in the first place. They were just sitting up there pulling up shingles when we drove up."

"Don't even get me started. Man, don't get me started. Its like no one cares anymore as long as their kids aren't bothering them. Johnnie can get going sometimes when he is restless and needing to burn off some energy, but I'd never let him climb on the roof, much less start destroying the freaking house!"

"Yeah, my granddaughters can drive me buggy on some days. It's actually been a relief to be able to get out even if we are working like mad men and sweating like pigs. I don't see how my Serena and Ann do it."

"Yeah, Sissy isn't looking too good lately either. I don't think it's the kids though, at least she says it isn't. She is the only one in the house that didn't get sick – you know back when everyone else did – but she is the only one that hasn't seemed to recover. I'm getting worried. I'm thinking about seeing if there is a private clinic where she can go for a check up or something. Her dad started having heart problems in his 40's. I don't even want to think about what could be going on with her." Scott says with a deeply pensive look on his face.

"Don't put the cart before the horse son. It don't look that bad and we aren't going to let it get that bad. You want Serena to talk to her, in case, you know, its female stuff?" Barry offered.

"Sissy is pretty up front about that stuff with me, but yeah, see if Serena will talk to her but tell her not to say that it will get back around to me. Sissy might put up a front so I don't find out how bad she is feeling. I already know, but if Sissy thinks it is something in particular, she isn't saying. I need to know if there is something I can do about it."

"Come on Hoss. I'll finish this, you pack up. I got a line on a job from a man Serena used to work with. He needs some stuff hauled and it sounds like he doesn't care what happens to it so long as it gets gone. Might be something in there worth our trouble."

Scott agrees and starts loading tools back into the van all the while thinking, "God I don't know what I'd do if something happens to her."


	36. Chapter 35

_**Chapter 35**_

June may have come in like a lamb but it goes out with the roar of a wounded lion. Hurricane Edouard decimates large areas off the coast of South Carolina. Its all people have been talking about for days. It highlights their worst fears. There are more storms on the way as well. Tropical storms Fay and Gustav are spinning harmlessly to their deaths, but T.S. Hannah looks like it might have a temper.

Tampa's rain pattern finally returns to normal with afternoon showers on most days - June normally sees an average of 5.5 inches of rain – and everyone has been able to replenish their stored water. July, month eleven of the pandemic, should bring them about seven and a half inches of precipitation as long as normal rain patterns are maintained.

With the rain comes even more heat and humidity. TECO really struggles to meet the heightened demands for electricity. Instead of their response getting better as time passes, it is getting worse. They no longer have the resources available to buy "excess" power generated by other utility companies to meet their shortfall. Those companies are struggling as well, or in the case of several small rural cooperatives, have failed, and entire areas no longer have any access to electricity. Fuel shortages have also handicapped TECO's power production. For the past several weeks Scott and Sissy' neighborhood has been lucky to have power one day in five. The dam on the Hillsborough River at Rowlette park helps some, but not much.

Lack of electricity has cascading consequences. With less electricity, city municipal services, already dealing with lowered water quality, see a significant drop in water pressure. Some people on the very outskirts of the municipal system barely have a trickle coming from their faucets. Two sections of Tampa are completely without municipal water because of two water main collapses that happened after the last tropical storm. Worse is that some of the sewage lift stations in low-lying areas are failing and sewage is backing up into people's homes or flowing into the Hillsborough River. Tampa, particularly the older sections of town, are reaping the inevitable consequences that occur to aging infrastructure under stress.

Hospitals now must care for almost all of their patients in outdoor tent facilities full time. The lack of electricity has turned the inside of their buildings into dark, barely navigable, smelly firetraps. Hospitals receive priority for electrical services, but they have chosen to turn off all wings of the hospitals except for the surgical units, the labs, and the main pharmacy area. Any left over voltage is used to operate fans used to circulate air in the tents. Its too much of a logistical nightmare to move people in and out every time there is a black out. Death from heat, dehydration, and out of control bacterial fevers rival deaths from influenza

Gas stations cannot pump fuel without electricity. A few enterprising stations have installed makeshift hand pumps; but, this means less accurate pricing and much longer waits for the ten-gallon allotments.

Those people that are still mobile in their vehicles must drive much slower because of the lack of traffic signals (no power, no traffic lights). This is further complicated by the exponential increase in the numbers of bicycles and motorcycles on the road. There are special commuter rules in effect. Anything with wheels – from semi to unicycle – must travel in the correct lanes. Pedestrian traffic is directed in the same manner, people are supposed to travel on the right-hand side of the sidewalk. If there is a sidewalk available on both side of the road, and the road consists of only two lanes, then the sidewalks are one-way with pedestrians travelling on their right. Commute times, if you are lucky enough to still have a job, have gotten significantly longer as well. The only offset is since the days are now longer, curfew is easier to meet. Even more than before, people do not participate in any unnecessary travel.

But the worst consequence of less electricity is that information dispersal is slowing down. Radio and television stations cannot operate without power and they have long ago used up all fuel for their back up generators. The most reliable news is now being disbursed on the Internet and the family makes sure that they keep their laptop batteries fully charged with their solar panel recharger. The problem is that the most unreliable news is also being disbursed on the Internet. It is a real job to try and separate the two. Everyone seems to have his or her own agenda.

Very few people have access to solar power or battery and appliance recharging. Scott and Sissy try to keep their power preps low profile to avoid conflict caused by envy. When they do come across news they think important to share, they make out like it is found out while Scott and his crew are out and about. Barry and Tom know otherwise of course, but they understand the necessity of some things not being for public consumption. In a sense, their silence is beneficial to their own families for in return for their silence Scott has taken to recharging their batteries and phones . . . after all, sunlight is one of the few things still available in great quantities and for free.

It may have been a fluke, but solar chargers for iPods and other MP3 players were a very popular gift the Christmas season prior to the beginning of the pandemic. Some of these devices have built in radio receivers. These trendy gadgets are turning out to be life-links for some families who might not otherwise have access to any other news outlet sources.

"Daddy, the last batch of batteries is reading fully charged."

"OK Sweetheart, bring me that bag out of my closet that has the dead batteries in it."

While Bekah runs inside, Scott asks Sissy what's for dinner.

"Spam and veggie kabobs are in the solar cooker. I've got rice in there too. It's just too hot to fix anything else. I wish I could say we were having iced tea or lemonade but all the ice is gone." About that moment Sissy gets a funny look on her face and slowly starts to collapse.

Scott cries, "Sissy!"

Sissy's face is bright red as Scott carries her onto the lanai. "James! Bring me some water and towels. Sarah, go get that fan your Momma made you out of that palmetto frond. I want you to wave that and help cool her down. Rose, if there isn't any Gatorade drink stuff mixed up, get some made with the coolest drinking water we have."

As Scott has the kids do their best to cool Sissy down, Scott takes off like a shot down the road to get Tom Cox's wife who worked in an extended care facility before the pandemic closed it down.

Laura Cox is a petite natural blonde with a rather serious outlook on life. Scott runs back to his home as Laura bikes over. They both enter to find that Sissy has regained consciousness and is very embarrassed by the scene she has apparently made.

"Mom won't stay put!" James quickly tells his dad in frustration.

"Sissy don't you dare move. This is Laura Cox, you remember her from when the boys were in Cub Scouts. Kids, scram and let Mrs. Cox talk to your Momma. You can come back in a minute."

As she watches the kids file out very unwillingly Sissy says, "Yes I do and I'm really sorry that Scott got you over here for nothing. I'm fine."

"People who are fine don't pass out," Laura says. "If nothing else, let me check your pulse and blood pressure so that Scott will feel better."

"Oh all right. I just feel so stupid. I guess I just got too hot or something."

After checking her over Lauras says, "Sissy, you know I'm no doctor but it doesn't take a neurosurgeon to see you've lost a lot of weight and you are working really hard. Heck, I could just about say the same thing for everyone on our block."

Sissy interrupts to say, "Well then I'm the same as everyone else."

Laura comes back with, "Maybe. You aren't the first to pass out in this heat that's for sure. But everyone reacts to various stimulants differently. Weight loss, stress, sleeplessness, etc. will hit different people differently. Tom has told me all you are trying to keep up with. Frankly I don't know how you are still on your feet and why you weren't one of the first down when the sickness went through the neighborhood. But if you aren't careful, all that is gonna come due in a big payment."

Sissy sighs and agrees she hasn't been feeling well lately, but asks what she is supposed to do? When you have it, you need to do something to save it because tomorrow, or next week, you might need it. The family needs to be fed, there is laundry to do. You fix it, you make do, or you do without ... but all of that takes time and energy. Both in short supply.

"Sissy, I don't know what the answer is, but you need to slow down or you're gonna really get sick. Take siestas in the heat of the day. I know you are always harping at the men to make sure they have enough drinking water to last them through the day. You probably do the same to your kids. Now you need to do it for yourself. Same with eating; no cutting back so Scott and the kids can have a little more. I think we can put this episode down to a little heat exhaustion. Next time you might not be so lucky."

After Scott makes sure that Laura gets back home safely and hurriedly answers all of the questions of the worried neighbors that had witnessed his run down the block, Scott sits down with Sissy to have a serious talk about what happened.

"God Sissy, you scared me to death. If you were feeling this bad, why didn't you tell me?!"

"I have been saying that I'm tired and stuff. I just figured that's all it is. Trust me, I didn't intend to pass out like that. I woke up feeling like I was going to puke and I'm still kind of nauseous. The last time I felt like this was when I was pregnant with Johnnie."

"You aren't are you?"

"Aren't what? Pregnant? Lord no. Scott not only are my tubes cut but they are burnt forever closed. The baby factory is permanently shut. And besides I just had my monthly so no way am I pregnant. I'm just tired and anxious."

"You sure it isn't anything else? You'd tell me if you thought it was?"

"Scott, I'm just … I don't know. In the beginning of all of this I was fine. We had a plan, I felt in control. The kids were safe. We were safe. We were getting by even when things were getting bad for everyone else. Etc. Then when you all got sick something just … I don't know, something just changed for me. I've always been a light sleeper but now I hardly ever sleep through the night. At first losing my appetite was helpful, I know I needed to lose weight anyway. Now though, sometimes the thought of eating at all just turns my stomach. I'm tired of cooking. I'm tired of cleaning. I'm tired of worrying. I'm tired of these same damn walls, this same damn fenced in yard. I'm just plain tired of everything!" and Sissy starts crying.

Scott is at a loss what to do for her. He has known that she was starting to feel bad, he just hadn't realized how hard all of this was turning out to be on her. His Sissy always seems to have an answer, always seems to make something out of nothing, was always doing things to cheer everyone else up. To see her so tore up left him feeling helpless and useless.

"OK, look at me. I want you to promise me that you are going to rest after lunch every day just like Laura said."

"Scott I can't, there is too much to …"

"No, there is no can't here. If I have to turn into a chauvinistic pig here and put my foot down and demand you do what I'm saying I will. I'll sit on you if I have to. I cannot … will not … lose you. The kids need you. I need you. We will do whatever we have to do to keep you. Do you understand me?"

"Oh Scott. I'm not being a pain on purpose."

"You aren't being a pain at all. You took care of us for weeks while we were sick. Now you have to let us take care of you."

"Scott, I can't honestly say that is going to make things any better. I'll probably just lay there thinking of all the things that I need to get up and do."

"Look, just try it for a few days. If that doesn't work then we'll try something else. The kids and I'll will take over the cooking …"

"No. Let's not go changing the whole way we do things just because I passed out once. I'll try the resting after lunch thing. OK?"

"Have you kept up your journaling? I know I complained about having to do it but you seemed to get a kick out of it. Maybe writing things out will help."

"Writing things out? Scott I barely have time to do what needs to be done, much less have the time to do what I want to do. The kids have been writing stuff in the Ship's Log for me for the last couple of weeks."

"Well, why don't you go back to writing. Sarah can do more of the mending and help more in the garden. Bekah is certainly big enough to do more in the kitchen and with cleaning. Rose can take on at least one of the day's meals and the girls can help her. James and I will do any lifting in the garden and do whatever else we can."

"Oh Scott, I just feel like such a failure," Sissy moans. "Rose should be going to college, the other two girls are far too young to be taking on all of the household responsibilities of grown women. You and James already have so much work to do to keep the van going and all that equipment you bring back to repair for the apartments. If I can't …"

"It'll be OK darling. Whatever is going on, we'll figure it out. I just can't lose you. You don't know how much you mean to me. You don't know how necessary you are to me. I can't raise these kids by myself. I can't keep going on without you. Its too damn hard. We are going to get through this together."

"Oh Scott," Sissy sighs as she is pulled into the arms of the only man she can imagine going through this catastrophe with.

"Let me figure something out. I'll figure out some way to get you out of the house so you can take a break. It may not be right away, but I'll try. As far as the rest of it, we'll work it out. But woman, you are going to get some rest and you are going to eat. We are all making sacrifices, but they don't need to be sacrifices to the …" and Scott takes a deep breath and says, "they don't need to be sacrifices to the death. Understand?" And he hugs her that much tighter.

"OK. OK. This day has sucked hasn't it?" she sniffles.

"Yeah, but hopefully tomorrow will be better. Just so long as we are all together."


	37. Chapter 36

_**Chapter 36**_

Over the last couple of weeks, Sissy has slowly returned to an outlook and attitude that is closer to her normal personality. She still has moments when she just wants to sit down and cry out of sheer frustration and fatigue, but those moments are becoming fewer.

Scott and the kids have certainly become more aware of just how much Sissy does every day. The fact that they are learning this during one of the longest black outs they've ever experienced made the point even more emphatically. The extra rest during the hottest part of the day helps, she has even managed to take a nap on a few occasions. Mostly it is just taking the time to stop and have some physical and mental quite time that is helping.

Scott has even come up with a plan to get Sissy out of the house for a bit. It isn't at all what she was anticipating. And now that the time has come shi is unexpectedly nervous to the point that her stomach is heaving. It was far from her favorite activity before the pandemic, but Scott was so pleased to be able to get this opportunity for her that she hasn't had the heart to complain. She was going to . . . [she can hear the theme music from the movie Jaws every time she thinks about it] . . . the grocery store.

Last week a manager from a local grocery store walked the two miles from his store to practically beg Scott to come do several repairs. The county code enforcement department, using sledge hammer tactics to deal with a dust cloth problem, is going around town shutting down soup kitchens, charitable food distribution points, neighborhood produce stands, and grocery stores for "health code violations." Scott's personal opinion is that it is revenge for the slap in the face the department took several months back when they preciptated several near riots. Does bureaucracy never learn or is just the bureaucratic officials?

The strong-arm tactics are a response to an outbreak of shigella that has been confined to a small area in the furthermost southeast corn of the county. Instead of re-emphasizing hand washing and basic hygiene practices, or requiring sanitizing stations outside of food service locations, they are closing down businesses that are lifelines in many neighborhoods.

The store manager knows that the loss of his store will have disastrous effects, both for local customers and for his employees. The store has also become the center of his life. He now lives there full time after losing his wife and children to the first wave of influenza infections back in September.

It is a misconception on the part of the general public to believe that grocery stores are making a huge profit at their customers' expense. Grocers operate on a very thin margin of profit even under the best of conditions. They are as affected by the concept of supply and demand as consumers are. They are also subject to the same shortages and quantity restrictions, not to mention distribution problems. Just because costs are going up for groceries doesn't mean profits are going up for grocery stores.

The concern for the store manager is that there is no money to pay to have the repairs made. If the repairs are not made, the store will be condemned and forcibly closed. Most of the repairs are relatively minor, but there are a number of them.

A minor roof leak in an unused maintenance closet at the rear of the building.

An inoperable loading bay door at the rear of the store. The track in the roll down door was damaged during an attempted break in, preventing complete opening or closing.

One of the automatic doors does not work, even when the power is on.

When the power is off, customers aren't supposed to have access to the coolers where freezer foods and meats were once sold.

Despite being empty and unused, coolers need to be re-sanitized after a small area of mildew was noted in the back corner of one freezer.

There is too little light when the power is off, making navigation of the store aisles difficult or dangerous.

Code enforcement wants the entire store sanitized especially the bakery and produce sections.

The boards over the front glass area, there for security reasons, need to come down.

Too many customers are allowed in the store at one time, violating social distancing recommendations.

The front windows of the store need to be cleaned, as does the front walk.

There are not enough trash receptacles outside.

The employee break area is ill lit and needs to be sanitized.

Scott agrees to go look and see what he can do. After looking everything over he finds that the leak is an easy fix. It will just be a minor roof repair. Same with the loading bay door. All that needs doing is to get the door and chain back in the track. The automatic door is a stupid violation, but to address it he can install a shock, similar to the ones found on screen doors or hatch backs of cars. The door can then be propped open if need be and will close slowly rather than swing shut with a bang.

The issue with the coolers is twofold. The store staff can clean them and the rest of the store to address the disinfection requirements. Following that a new floor plan can be designed and shelves moved to keep customers toward the front of the store. Since only about five customers are going to be allowed inside the store at any given time, they can remove all of the cash registers, except for the one at customer service, and replace them with stock shelves. Having products closer to the front windows will alleviate lighting issues.

Since the bakery can only operate when the power is on, that area will be shut off from customers completely. When the power is on and the bakery is operating, any baked goods can be transferred to baskets at the front of the store. The window area will be un-boarded and metal rebar left over from a construction site that Scott has plundered will be used to create metal slat work. The plywood will be recycled to build temporary walls behind the area where the cash registers were. With a few additional refinements the plan is finalized.

The hitch in the negotiations is payment for the work. It is eventually agreed that payment will be made in the form of food vouchers. The compromise is that not all of the vouchers can be spent in a single week. All of the vouchers are distributed at the time of job completion, but are dated to be "spent" over a six-week period.

Scott decides to include Barry and Tom on the job. Scott will get a forty percent cut and the other two men will each get thirty percent of the vouchers. Serena spends their first week's right away as did Laura Cox. After putting it off for as long as she can, Sissy finally readies herself. The vouchers have nearly expired and she will just have to go regardless of her nerves. Scott was so proud when he explained how the vouchers worked. Its all Sissy can do to not let him see how different this is than what she expected. She understands it is a great opportunity most people would jump at, its just not what she had been at all anticipating.

Sissy leaves at first light to walk up to the grocery store. Scott wants to drive her, but she argues him out of it saying that it is a waste of fuel and that one of them really needs to stay home with the kids. She thought Rose would have a chance to get away from the house as well, but the girl dropped a #10 size can of dried beans on her foot the day before and it is now very bruised and sore. Sissy doesn't want her out and about on it in case they have to make a fast exit for some reason. James has to stay home and help Scott in the garden and the other children are too young so it looks like she is on her own.

The day is already warming up and Sissy is wringing wet with sweat before she even reaches the end of her street. She adds the strap of a two-quart canteen over her shoulder. Wearing a facemask and gloves doesn't make it any cooler. On her back she wears a makeshift basket cobbled together from an old backpack frame, palmetto sticks with their sharp edges removed and woven into panels, and wire lashing. James originally made it for working in the citrus grove. She borrowed it to haul the groceries home in because the store can no longer provide bags or boxes. Scott had asked why she didn't just take one of their large backpacks. Sissy decided against it because she would have been forced to empty one of their bug-out bags.

As Sissy walks the two miles to the store she notices that she isn't the only one out and about despite the early hour. There are a lot of people on foot and bicycles. There are even a few odd, rickshaw-looking bicycle taxis. However no one is congregating together. There are a few travelling by 2s and 3s, but no groups larger than that. At least this early in the morning everyone is pretty much following the appropriate traffic patterns. Keep to your right side – whether on the road or on the sidewalk – and everything with wheels must use the blacktop and leave the sidewalks, such as they are, for pedestrian traffic.

As Sissy continues up the highway she begins to realize that even though she works very hard every day and is in better shape than she has been in years – fewer calories and more exercise does have its benefits after all – she still can use some distance training. Walking around on a half-acre lot, or across the street on occasion, is no preparation for walking miles at a time. Thank goodness her tennis shoes are still in reasonable shape. Several people in her neighborhood have simply chosen to go barefoot which has resulted in more ringworm, stubbed toes, and minor infections. Foot care is no joke any more.

Eventually Sissy reaches the grocery store's parking lot. On one end of the strip center, which is shaped like a capital L, is the Post Office and on the other end is the grocery store. Lines of about a dozen people each are already evident at both locations. All the storefronts between the two are boarded over and abandoned giving the center a look of desperate deterioration.

Taking a deep breath she goes and takes her place in the cue for the grocery store. An armed security guard is stationed before the door in case of "dissatisfied customers" or any other form of uncivil behavior. Promptly at 7 am they allow the first five customers in.

Waiting her turn, Sissy finally takes note of the personal appearance of the people around her. Not surprisingly there are more women than men, but regardless of sex, everyone can use a shave. The men all have either closely cropped beards or several days worth of whiskers. The women appear to be going au natural with bare, unshaven legs and underarms. There is a darkly sarcastic voice in her head telling her she can mark shaving cream off her list of things to buy. Sissy is glad she chose to wear jeans and short sleeves despite the heat. She would have probably gotten some fairly curious – or contemptuous – looks otherwise. She doesn't shave as often, but she does shave which probably would have made her stand out too much. It was bizarre to se all the cans of shaving cream and razors under their bathroom sink prepandemic, but it sure has come in handy. Toothpaste too. Those are some of the items that are most difficult for people to come by these days.

Everyone's clothes look well worn as well with most people half having at least one item on that is either quite rumpled or threadbare. One man even has on sandals that look like they have been made from car tires. And everyone is wearing a hat. There isn't a child in sight. This makes Sissy really glad she didn't get desperate enough to bring Johnnie with her. She could have pushed him in the stroller but the risk of infection outweighs any nerves she might experience.

What a change from the last time she had been here, that last scramble for supplies before the pandemic was declared. Well-dressed older ladies in pantsuits sporting blue hair, wearing jewelry and matching shoes and purses. Burly construction workers stopping by the deli, loudly debating the merits of a Cuban sandwich vs. the fried chicken and potato salad. Businessmen with a couple of canned energy drinks in one hand, their wallet in another, and a cell phone glued to their ear. Young mothers pushing children in buggies, looking harassed as their kids beg for cookie samples from the bakery. Now everyone looks like a refugee. This isn't supposed to happen here, in her city, in her country.

It reminds Sissy of an episode from the Twilight Zone, all too surreal to really take in. Even more changes await inside as it becomes her turn to enter the store. Scott told her about the changes so she is somewhat prepared, but hearing about it and seeing it for herself are quite different.

Only one register is in evidence and it is an old manual one that was pulled out of a long unused cabinet in the store's upstairs office. It is old enough that it could easily have found a place in a display cabinet in Tampa's Historical Museum downtown. There is a wide series of shelves fronted by a very long counter top. People she recognize from before as former cashiers and stockers go back and forth pulling items for the customers they are serving. The whole set up reminds her of the old General Stores you see and read about from before the advent of the modern supermarket.

"Any bread today?"

"No, I'm sorry. The power is still off. Maybe tomorrow. How about some olives?"

"No. Got any corn?"

"Yes, but there is a two can limit."

"That's fine. Got any tomatoes?"

"Not canned. We've got some fresh. They are a little green but you can have three pounds."

"Give me one pound and what is the price for those snap beans?"

And on it goes, people looking for one thing but leaving with whatever they can get. As Sissy walks up, the store manager recognizes her and comes over to work up her order personally. She picks up fresh carambolas (aka star fruit) and papayas that have just come in from down south. She gets a jug of peanut oil and five pounds of honey, both of which have obviously been packaged locally and costs far more than they did prepandemic. She picks up a five pound bag of new potatoes. She figures to try and save some of them to plant next month if she can get the eyes to sprout. She asks for bleach, dish detergent and vinegar but only gets two of the three as the store used its stock of bleach for its own disinfecting. Maybe next time. The last thing she picks up is the most expensive and the one thing she debates the most about getting. She gets three pounds of what the store manager says is locally prepared and cured Chorizo sausages.

One of the local families of Italian decent, with ties to early 20th century Tampa, still had a large number of cattle on their acreage in Odessa when the pandemic was declared. Using business sense and bravado inherited from their immigrant grandparents, they are turning a profit making beef sausages and jerky. She knows this family by reputation – their ancestors had been members of the old Trafficante gang. They are still a bunch of goons, but these days they are relatively honest goons.

Sissy places her purchases in the backpack, heavy items on the bottom and produce on top, at the check out. She pays with her vouchers and because she has gone slightly over, has to add some change that Scott insisted she bring just in case. After paying she begins to make her way home, the backpack weighing her down.

As Sissy steps outside she notices that the line for the post office has doubled, but the line for the grocery store is now wrapped around the building. A few people ask if there is any bread. At her negative answer several sigh, get out of line and depart. Others are obviously juggling their list of other items they hope to get; counting pennies to get the most for the least.

The walk home is even more fatiguing than her walk to the store. It is hotter, there is more traffic, and she is carrying more than thirty extra pounds on her back. She still feels the effects of the malaise she had been suffering that culminated in her fainting spell. Getting out has been invigorating, but the adrenaline is now wearing off and Sissy is beginning to run down.

Even though the wreckage on the highway from the train derailment has been picked over several times, there are still people wading through what remains of the mess in hopes that something useful or valuable has been overlooked. The rails themselves, warped in the fire, have been replaced so that the trains can run again. The remaining debris has been pushed to either side and it is there that most people are wandering.

Sissy is nearly run over by cyclists several times in areas where there are no sidewalks. In these stretches she is forced to alternate her travel between parking lots and the curb of the road. She could have walked closer to some of the buildings lining the highway but Scott has admonished her to say in plain view at all times. It is too easy to be suddenly pulled into a darkened storefront and get mugged or worse. It is a risk she prefers not to take.

Finally she turns into her street. Her steps pick up speed as she realizes that Scott has stationed himself at the end of their drive and is facing the direction she is coming from. It is both a physical and emotional relief to walk into his arms and let him lift the pack from her back.

"Now I know how you feel when I leave with the guys," he says as they walk into the house with their arms around each other.

Sissy replies, "Yeah, shoe on the other foot and all that. Life sure is different than it was last year. But, if we can just hold on, things are bound to get better. "

With a smile and a smooch, Scott says, "If we hold on to each other, I don't doubt it for a second. Did you enjoy getting out?"

"It was … educational. I've heard the stories. Even seen the changes taking place on our block. But getting out into the thick of things brings it all home."

"But did getting out help? Do you feel better?"

"Yeah, I do appreciate getting out. I know it wasn't easy to get these vouchers or for you to let me go on my own. It was good to get out. It just also brought it back home to me how well off we are comapred to a lot of people."

What Sissy doesn't say is that in a sense that also made her feel bad for acting so depressed when she should actually feel very blessed about how well their preps have worked out. She knows she needs to find her way out of this confusing emotional maze she is in, but things like this still set her off.

"You know we've got these other vouchers to spend as well. If you feel up to it, you can go each week to stretch your legs and get away."

"I'm sure I'll do that," Sissy says and then sighs a bit before continuing. "Scott I do appreciate everything you've tried to do recently – and even before – to take care of me, and the kids. I don't want you to ever think that I am ungrateful. I'm sorry if I might appear that way. I'm getting a handle on all of this I really am, I just may not always seem like it."

"Honey, relax. If you can put up with the crap I dish out when I come home from a bad day at work, I can put up with anything you have going. I've been doing a lot of thinking the last week or so. It's a wonder you didn't bean me with a skillet or plant me head first out in the garden. I didn't realize at the time that you were under just as much stress as I was. I only saw my side of things."

"You had reason to be angry. I've gotten angry with some of the stupid stuff you've been forced to deal with. Don't suddenly treat me like you need to wear kid gloves or I'm going to fall apart."

"I'm not honey, I just think maybe we are both so wound up with what is going on around us, we aren't dealing with what is going on inside us. We've taken the time to get the kids to talk about how they feel and to deal with their feelings. We haven't taken the same time to do that for ourselves. I know we don't have much privacy with things being the way they are but maybe we can figure out something even if it is just going out in the corner of the yard to have a drink or something. Man, I don't know …"

"Scott, I think that is a fine idea. Don't beat yourself up over this, OK? It makes me feel bad to make you feel bad."

"That's not what I mean honey. I don't know exactly what I do mean, but that isn't it. I'm just glad you aren't feeling as bad. You would tell me if you still were?"

"I said I would and if I get to feeling as badly as I was before I will. I'm feeling more … maybe balanced or something. It's helped that everyone has pitched in and given me a bit of a break. As far as the rest goes, I'm hoping time will put things back into perspective. Either way, I'm beat. Let's go inside so I can show you what I bought and have lunch. I'm actually feeling hungry."


	38. Chapter 37

_**Chapter 37**_

Thankfully tropical storm Hannah turns out to be more "hoochie momma" than "hellish harpy." The storm did cause some problems for Galveston, Texas and the areas surrounding it. The Pelican Island Causeway is damaged, but the Galveston Causeway, which connects Galveston to the mainland, escapes damage. The Galveston Convention Center, which sits in the middle of the seawall on Seawall Blvd. and which is being used as a health care overflow facility, sustains some damage when sections of the nearest pier pull away during the storm and strike the building. There is also some minor flooding, but mostly in the business district. Had Hannah become a full-blown hurricane, the damage would have been much more extensive.

July has made Sissy extremely glad that she stocked as well as she did before the pandemic. Her first grocery store visit was an eye-opening experience. Her second did not change that picture one iota. They continue to harvest corn from their garden but it has been a battle trying to keep the critters out of it. After planting their corn on the east side of the house, James rebuilt an old chain link dog run around it. They also have to use chicken wire and baskets woven from wild potato vines to protect other things in the garden. Squirrels were getting through the chain link fence so they interwove razor-edged palmetto sticks to make the holes smaller and discourage little paws. They also make garden alarms from the many, many, many empty cans they now have. It looks kind of silly to Scott, but it works for the most part.

They also harvest more watermelons and sweet potatoes. You wouldn't think it possible, but the family is actually a little tired of watermelon. Its not that they don't appreciate having it, it's just that everything seems to come all at once. This week you may sit down to squash at every meal to make sure that none goes to waste. The next week, there isn't any squash and all you have is corn or green beans or some other crop. It can get monotonous eating the same thing over and over and over and the family occasionally has to battle food fatigue. The kids are actually threatening to boycott the next item made from zucchini. Their preps do help with this but in months like July, when they aren't able to plant anything new because of the heat, and have harvested most of what they have already planted, it is times like this that concern Sissy with what could happen. She worries that there may come a day when she can't figure a way to balance the meals. Her family has lost enough weight as it is, and the kids didn't need to to begin with. Laura Cox has also come by again to remind Sissy that she shouldn't lose any more weight if she wants to maintain her health. The "what ifs" are still keeping her up at night unless she is totally exhausted.

The local market could be a good place to try and get some diversity back into their diet, but everyone else is in the same boat they are, or worse. At least Sissy has the prep stocks of long term storage items like rice and beans. Other families, if they have anything at all, are sitting down to only one item for every meal for days on end until the next item ripens or they can scrounge up something by scavenging.

One good thing has happened. While driving to a job the other day an elderly woman flagged Scott down. She was in pretty desperate straights and her neighbors weren't helping at all. A water pipe burst in her yard and the city utilities shut her water off until she got the break repaired. She couldn't' find anyone that would repair it, or if she did, could not afford the price they were asking. Scott's fury was very apparent as he related the story to Sissy. He said all it had taken was a coupler and some PVC glue. It didn't even take them five minutes to fix the break. He even cut the bolt off of the water main and used his water key to turn the water back on to her house. Scott said there was no excuse for what happened to her and he wondered how many other people were facing the same kind of problems. To a man they tried to refuse payment for such a small job, but the lady insisted. She said if they wouldn't take money, would they take seeds? Finally, to make her feel better since she was determined to show her gratitude, they accepted thinking they were flower seeds or something. The lady obviously had her pride and wouldn't give in. Scott put the shoebox in the back of the van and brought it back to Sissy.

"My God, you should have seen it! This lady was in her 70s and was taking care of her elderly mother that had to have been in her 90s. They had no electricity and no running water. She said they rarely used air conditioning so they didn't miss it, but they missed having water from the tap. The lady was hauling water from a nearby canal. And further more, the break in that pipe was so minor and the water pressure so low that it could have probably been fixed with a piece of inner tube and some duct tape! The guys and I have agreed to run by there every other week just to keep an eye on them since their neighbors don't exactly qualify for any humanitarian awards. What on God's green earth is this world coming to?!"

Scott is fast boiling over remembering it, so Sissy tries to distract him by looking at the seeds. Oh, and what seeds they are. There are some flower seeds, but there are also herb seeds and vegetable seeds including a dozen different heirloom tomatoes varieties. They are all neatly bagged and labeled with the variety and storage date.

"This is a gold mine," Sissy exclaims. "Did she look like she had a lot of plants?"

"I guess, about like our yard I suppose. Was a bit of a jungle in the back," Scott replies.

"Then yes dear, she had a lot of plants. Before I do anything with these, I want you all to see if she really meant to give these away. I couldn't trade for this kind of stuff for love or money."

"They're really that valuable?"

"Scott! You see everything I go through trying to save seeds from what we harvest. That's work; especially tomato seeds. And then when I replant not all of them are viable or breed true. With these heirloom varieties, the viability ratio will go way, way up. They will also do better as producers 'cause I won't have to baby them quite as much as the hybrid seeds."

"Relax Sissy. I just asked a simple question."

"Oh Scott, I'm sorry. I don't really mean to take all my frustrations over the gardening out on you. I just feel so inadequate. I keep thinking I should be doing better at this than I am."

"Honey, from where I stand it looks like things are doing well. Especially now that you are feeling better."

"Well, let me tell you, bugs damage the plants as fast as I can stop them. I never really am able to rid of all the pests, just try and control them to minimize losses. I know things would be better if I had more fertilizer, and I'm all but out of all that slow release fertilizer I bought prepandemic. I'm using up the compost faster than we make it. Scott I'm just at my wits end trying to figure out how to make do or do without. Watering by hand is so time consuming but necessary in this heat. And I know we're still losing things to garden pirates even though we bring almost everything in at night."

"Are we losing a lot? Why haven't you told me?"

"Because I don't know if the losses are from animals or from humans! The raccoon population is way down now that they are viewed as a meat source. That dog pack that Mr. D has tamed as the opossums and rats back under control and the cats no longer spray their scent every where. The squirrels are still a pain in my backside, they are too fast for most of the dogs – except that little greyhound – to catch. But, to be honest, some of the losses are too neat and selective for them to be from animals. I just don't know."

"Well story I heard from Serena is that a couple people have caught Bob Grinder and that loopy wife of his 'borrowing' things from people. Ol' man Cleary actually threatened Grinder at the last market day in front of God and everyone. You know how even tempered the man normally is, it was shocking enough for that reason alone."

"Surely it was just the heat making everyone foul."

"No. I don't think so, not this time. Mr. Cleary flat out told Grinder that he or his wife was going to 'borrow' themselves into a grave one night."

"Oh my word!"

"Yeah, and he's not the only one that has warned the Grinders off."

"We don't know if they are the ones taking stuff out of our garden."

"No, that's true. But we don't know they aren't either. Let me think on it and I'll see if I can figure out a painful surprise to run around the top of the privacy fencing. You should see some of the stuff I've seen. The most elaborate was a three foot wide and three food deep trench dug inside the perimeter of a yard. Then the trench was filled with things like sharpened stakes and broken bottles."

"Oh, that sounds awful."

"Maybe so, but its been effective. The guy said he's only had a couple of problems since he installed that set up and those he quietly disposed of at night."

"Are you telling me one of our tenants admitting to getting rid of people that impaled themselves on his homemade security system?!"

"Honey, our neighborhood is a pretty good place despite some of the problems we have. There are plenty of other places that have turned being uncivilized into an art and no one thinks much of it any more. They do what they have to to survive; not all of it legal."

This gives Sissy even more to think on and worry about.

The following week when the men stop by to check on the two elderly women, a young man greets them on the front porch.

Scott asks, "Where are the two older ladies that lived here?"

"Who wants to know?" the young man asks suspiciously.

"We were by here last week and we were just dropping by to check on them again."

After a momentary blankness that was just beginning to make Scott uncomfortable, a light begins to appear in the young man's eyes and then his face is transformed from wary suspicion to complete welcome.

"Oh man! You are the guys that fixed Granny and Grammy's water! Dad! Dad! Those guys came back. Dad!"

"What's the problem?" a man says gruffly as he comes to the door.

"Dad, these are the guys that fixed the water!"

The same transformation happens on the father's face, only more quickly. "Hello!" he says as he reaches out to shake hands and then pulls back. "Uh, sorry about that. Old habits are hard to break. Thank you so much. Mom said she was at the end of her rope and you are the only people who stopped to help her."

"It was our pleasure. We were just stopping by to see if they were still doing OK."

"Oh yeah. It's taken us six months, but we finally got clearance to cross state lines and come get them. We're from Georgia you know. We just convinced them to pack up and let us bring them with us. Gram finally told Mom to stop being hard headed. She said, 'You made me come live with you. Now its your turn to go live with your kids.' And that's what they are going to do," the man says as his mother steps onto the porch.

"Oh lands. I was wondering what to do with all of this stuff that we can't fit onto the truck, and here you all are. I just know you'll find a good home for everything."

Barry says, "Uh, ma'am we don't want to take your stuff."

"No ma'm we were just stopping in to see how you two ladies were doing," Tom chimes in.

"Nonsense and don't be so bashful. If I leave it here, someone's just gonna trash the place. I may be old, but I'm not stupid. And I don't want my neighbors to get it all. I could've overlooked a lot of things, and have mind you, but not letting my poor mother go thirsty," the lady replies. "You have a trailer on the back end of that van, come in here and help my son and grandson get this stuff out of here. Now that I'm ready to go, I want to get out of here." The older lady replies swiftly and surely. "Come on. I'll fix a pan of beans to finish off the last of them out of the garden and you'll have a good soup in your bellies."

Scott, Barry, and Tom just look at each other then look at her son. He shrugs. The grandson says, "Best do what Granny wants. We don't need any of this stuff. We are just taking some of it for Granny and Grammy's sake. My mother and sisters already have our farm loaded down with all kinds of everything. The heavier the truck is the slower we'll have to go and the more gas it will take. Just pretend you are doing us a favor." Then he plastered a big grin on his face and says, "Besides, she's bringing enough and I don't want to have to do all the packing by myself." All the men laugh and just put their backs to it while the two old ladies make sure they do it the right way.

When all is said and done, the older ladies have snipped off pieces of this plant and that plant, but then put the remaining pots onto the trailer. Really, they live a Spartan life and have little enough to pack. But there are things like gardening equipment and pots, work gloves, and some old jars and linens, more seeds, four shelving units, two bookcases, cast iron pots, and some books and magazines that don't find a place in the back of the pickup and go onto Scott's trailer instead. There are bushel baskets and enamel ware bowls that are considered a waste of space that go home with the men as well.

"I want to thank you again, for stopping by to check on mom and Gram. Seems like there is a lot less of that going around nowadays," the mother's son says as they prepare to drive off.

"In some places. In others, a lot more of it is going on than you would expect. Drive safe and take care," Scott says. And the loaded down pick up truck leaves to join a caravan that is headed north for the state line checkpoint.


	39. Chapter 38

_**Chapter 38**_

It's that time again. Sissy has put off going to the grocery store until the food vouchers have nearly expired. Its not that they do not need things, it's that the things they need are either prohibitively expensive or they are unavailable. Scott keeps asking her when she is going to go and she knows her nervousness isn't completely logical. After all her noise about wanting to get out and away from the house, its proving amazingly difficult to make herself actually do it.

They really do need to get either some flour or some corn meal soon. The prices are really tripping her out though. Who ever heard of a dollar per pound for flour, at least this side of the US Civil War? Just prior to the pandemic starting, you could get five pounds of flour for under two dollars, and considerably cheaper than that if you bought your flour in bulk. There is roughly four cups per pound of flour … just enough for two small or one large loaf of bread. But to that cost you have to add all the other necessary ingredients. The cost of flour would be much higher than it already is if the US Federal Government had not instituted price ceilings. Most other staple goods, such as sugar and cornmeal, are the same way.

The issue is that when the government puts those types of price controls into effect, many producers will simply drop out of the market rather than lose money. To respond to this, the government has a couple of choices. They can either give incentives such as subsidies or they can take much more drastic steps like they did during World War II when they enacted the Smith-Connally Act, also known as the War Labor Disputes Act. This act authorizes the president to take over production facilities if companies refuses to continue manufacturing goods that are needed by the public.

This time around, the federal government is trying a combination of things – encouragement of door-yard gardens (aka Victory Gardens), price ceilings, strict rationing, federalization of food production facilities, etc. Sissy doesn't see this as keeping food affordable so much as keeping inflation from keeping it from being totally unavailable. It feels like being between a rock and a hard place, but as difficult a situation as it is, it is far better than in other countries that are totally dependent on imports for their sources of food.

The USA has restructured its supply-demand and gross national product way of thinking and plans to keep most of its products at home for the citizens here. That means that items like computers, other electronics, telecommunication equipment, etc. – any manufacturing that used to be farmed out to countries like China and India - are very hard to come by; no more imports. On the other hand, you can't eat a computer or telephone and right now food is on everybody's list of priorities. A lot of people have been forced to learn to re-use, make do, or do without very quickly. Just like there were no civilian vehicles built between the years 1942 and 1945 here in the USA, luxury items manufacturing has been suspended during this pandemic year. This has created a black market for such items, but because of economic problems and resource shortages, it hasn't flourished to any great degree yet.

Some manufacturing facilities have been repurposed for things like repair and recycling of items similar to what they had been making before. Most however sit closed and dark, leaving their former employees struggling to find replacement income with which to feed and house their family.

With all of this in mind, Sissy waits her turn yet again in the cue to get into the grocery store. It is hard to believe that they are in the twelfth month of the pandemic. It seems that just yesterday everything was normal, yet at the same time it feels like they've been struggling with drastic lifestyle changes forever. The one thing that she notices this time as she waits in line is that now that August's brutal heat is on them, people are much more irritable than before. There is always this simmering anger that seems to lurk just below the surface. God help them if they have to deal with yet one more thing, because sometimes it feels like people can't be wound any tighter and things are going to explode all over again like they did in the opening days of the pandemic.

As she gets into the store, brightly lit because the power is on, baskets of breads and rolls are on prominent display. While she is tempted to get a loaf, she knows that she can make it herself at home so long as she is willing to put the work in. There is a chalkboard listing the fresh food items available at which she just had to take a second glance.

 **Today's Fresh Picks  
** Meats  
 _Nutria (water herbivore)  
Alligator - Tail  
Wild Hog – prime cuts  
Wild Hog – economy cuts  
Beef Chorizo (sausage)  
Beef – prime cuts  
Beef – economy cuts_

Fresh Fruit  
 _Avocado  
Atemoya  
Guava  
Mango  
Passionfruit_

Shaking her head, she finally gets up the nerve to ask exactly what nutria is. The guy behind the counter grins and calls them "good eating." He continues by explaining, "They are actually a non-native, invasive species of animal here in Florida. Nutria are members of the rodent family. Adult nutria are about 14 inches long from the nose to the base of the tail. The tail itself is 12 to 17 inches long, round, and hairless. Nutria average 15 to 20 pounds in weight. Nutria are native to South America and prefer to live in salt water shoreline mudflats and tidewaters. They can disrupt catfish farming, destroy rice and sugar fields, and disrupt flood control. Nutria tear out aquatic plants by the roots to eat them. They are destroying many hectares of marsh vegetation, such as bulrush and cordgrass. When nutria eat all of the grasses in a marsh, the ecosystem is disrupted. This damage impacts wading birds, fish, mollusks, crustaceans, and many other organisms. The roundworms infesting nutria can cause health problems for humans. The roundworm larvae are present in the water where nutria are found, and these larvae can penetrate human skin. Known as "nutria itch", severe inflammation can result, which requires medical attention."

"Well, you've certainly got that down don't you, but eat them? Come on, are things really that bad that we have to put rodent in the meat cooler?" Sissy laughingly asks with only a little credulity in her voice.

"Well Nutria occurring in the wild are clean animals. Contrary to their look-alike cousin the rat which is a omnivore, nutria exclusively consume plant life; they are strict herbivores. They are like cows in that respect. Also, in addition to Chef Philippe Parola, many premier Louisiana chefs created nutria dishes, including Chef Paul Prudhomme, Chef John Folse, Chef Enola Prudhomme, Chef Suzanne Spicer, Chef Daniel Bonnot, Chef John Besh, and many more! So you could actually say that Nutria is a delicacy."

"Maybe so, but I'm not that adventurous yet," she laughs. "I'll stick with another three pounds of that Chorizo. And send complements to who ever delivers it. That is some of the best chorizo that my husband said he has ever eaten and he is of Hispanic decent."

"I'll tell the store manager. Anything else for you today?"

"Hmmm. How many pounds of flour and cornmeal can I get?"

"Ten pounds of each or 15 pounds of one."

"Give me ten pounds of each. And I'll take my limit on all of the fresh fruit on the board except I only want one avocado."

"Anything else?"

"How much is sugar going for and how much can I get?"

"Sugar prices are on the board over there. Your best bet is to get the sugar cones. They are made of 100% pure brown cane sugar just like the colonials used to receive from the Indies and Caribbean. There are about seven ounces in each cone and it has a molasses taste just like the originals would have. You use them by grating the sugar off in the amount you need. Due to sugar melting in a lot of the hot humid climates of the Caribbean and places like Central and South America, that is what you still find today instead of white granulated sugar. Some people claim it is even more nutritious than the refined sugars. They are called Piloncillo if they are shaped like a cone and Panela if they are shaped like blocks."

"Ok, " Sissy laughs "you've sold me. Give me my full ration on the sugar cones."

The store manager looks over and grins. It is a good day for him as the power is on and the bread is selling. Sissy, pointing to her checker, says, "He's good."

"Yep. That boy could sell snowballs to the Abominable Snowman," as he smiles at the next customer who stepped up.

Sissy is tempted to ask about the fresh vegetables like corn and tomatoes, but she has canned tomato products at home and they pulled fresh ears of corn just yesterday. She doesn't want to buy just because she can. As it is, she feels she has over spent this time. That boy really is a good salesman.

After Sissy checks out and is walking home with her extremely heavy pack, she thinks about how much she wanted to buy some fresh meat. The thought of grilling a steak or pressure cooking a roast is just about turning her stomach inside out. But, she has to be practical. There is still plenty of canned meat, commercially canned and home-canned in their pantry . . . or at least enough to last a good long while yet as they are not eating as much as she had planned for. She also hasn't broken into much of the TVP (textured vegetable protein), and she has about a dozen #10 cans of that.

Sissy would love to get more pasta and rice, but doesn't know if that is likely or not. Wonder if someone in the neighborhood can give her some pointers on making her own pasta? Every time she has ever tried, hers always turns out a little thick and tough, more like thin dumplings than what she intends.

As she turns onto her street, there is Scott again, waiting for her return. "Power is on! The kids are filling up all the containers and I washed out those two extra barrels of soda syrup that I brought home the other day."

"Hurray! The power was on at the store too. Hey, you didn't throw that syrup away did you?!"

"Nope. The girls boiled some jars first thing and I emptied the syrup into those. I used those big gallon jars though instead of your other ones."

"Oh . . . you . . . are . . . good," Sissy teases. "Seriously though, thanks for thinking of that. I know it looks like I've got a ton of empty jars, but they'll go fast once the new produce is planted and begins to produce. Plus, I never know what you are going to bring home from work. Better to be safe . . . "

"Than sorry. We know, we know," he grins.

"OK smarty pants, then help me get this stuff in the house. It weighs a ton. And you will not guess what they are selling in the meat market!" Sissy exclaims.

They walk into the house while Scott listens to how her trip went, shaking his idea at the thought of eating a rat's cousin.


	40. Chapter 39

_**Chapter 39**_

True to his prediction, Sissy's brother moved his family to their parent's home. The word from her sister in law is that it is turning out to be a really good decision for everyone involved. Her parents are now getting the physical help they need with the upkeep of their garden and home. Her brother can now rest easier knowing that his family is out of an area that was very unsafe. And everyone is generally happier, though there are the natural adjustments that come from combining two households into one.

The only real fly in the ointment is that Sissy's oldest nephew refused to go. He chose to stay with his mother and friends. He didn't want to move to some "hick town in the middle of no where, away from friends, to work like some white slave." Her brother is heart broken, but knows that he cannot forcibly take his son without severe repercussions and at nearly 16 the boy would fight him tooth and nail the whole way and just run away the first chance he got. Her brother says that he'll do his best to keep in contact with the boy, despite his resistance, in case he changes his mind but by that time it could very well be too late for anything to be done. It broke Sissy's heart to see her brother crying as he pulled out after leaving their car at her home for safekeeping. The pandemic was not just hurting families; it is tearing some of them apart.

August has been an exceptionally wet month. Its normally the wettest month of the year in Tampa any way with an average of eight plus inches of rain, but this year they might well break some records. The plants and trees love it, but combined with ninety plus degree heat, it's like working in a sauna with no relief even in the shade. It's very, very draining and dehydration is a constant specter. Sissy tires easily though her health continues to improve. James and Johnnie seem to feel the heat more than the girls do and often lay down when Sissy does. The girls, and Scott when he is home, prefer to find a quiet corner and read or make something to go in the family journal, rather than napping during siesta time. Despite the curfew, most people now prefer to travel in the pre-dawn and just past dusk hours. Even trying to take a bath to stay cool is like sitting in warm soup.

Despite the heat and humidity, Sissy is taking the opportunity to do a little early planting. When most areas are winding down their planting and harvesting schedules, central and south Florida's is just really getting started. Scott and Sissy learned their lesson last year and have really done a lot to expand their garden. This month Sissy plants broccoli, okra, a handful of potato varieties, pumpkin, radishes, a couple of winter squash varieties, and sunflowers. The family is missing salad greens in their diet so she plants a couple of boxes of arugula and mesclun greens mix, hoping that by keeping them in the shade during the hottest part of the day they won't wilt before the are big enough to harvest.

One of Sissy's gardening challenges is that they have a really large number of tomato seedlings to plant. That box of seeds that the older ladies gave Scott has turned out to be nothing less than a treasure trove. She has started several hanging baskets of cherry tomatoes. There are also about 10 other varieties of tomatoes that she needs to transplant. In fact, her seedlings came up so well that she has given some to Barry and Tom's families as there is no way she has room for them all in her yard.

Even though Sissy does a lot of planting, she hasn't been able to harvest very much. They did finally get their first couple of chayote from the vines that they started nearly a year ago. The vines stretch all down the fence on one side of their property. They were so heavy they had to add more supports to keep the vines from pulling the fence down. Chayote is very versatile and a member of the squash family. It is shaped something like a pear but has a taste that is closer to a water chestnut. It is usually eaten fresh or baked but you can also mash it, fry it, boil it, or pickle it. You use it about the way you would summer squash. Sissy won't say it would ever become a favorite for her family, but it gives them some welcomed variety at the dinner table.

They continue to harvest a bit of corn, but the heavy rains and extreme heat is beginning to cause the stalks to wilt so Sissy expects to pull the stalks out of the ground soon and throw them into the compost pile. The only other thing they harvest is something that Sissy just took a chance on. It is called cardoon. It resembles a bunch of flat celery but is a member of the thistle family. You have to first boil or bake the stalks to tenderize them (this takes about thirty minutes) and then you batter and fry them. It is supposed to be a popular delicacy in some areas, but her family really doesn't think all that much of it. Maybe if they were fonder of artichoke which is also a member of the thistle family. They probably won't grow it again, so Sissy has allowed some of the flower heads go to seed and Scott takes them over to the neighborhood market for sharing if anyone is interested.

It seems strange to be picky when food is so expensive or hard to come by. Sissy is grateful they have the opportunity to be picky as weird as that sounds. She would hate to survive by eating things like cardoon and those nutria rodents no matter how much of a gourmet delicacy they may have been prepandemic. She would if she had to of course. She'd feed her family palmetto shoots and armadillo – both of which are edible – if she had to. She's just glad she doesn't have to.

Next month Sissy won't get a chance to harvest much from the garden either. It isn't until October that they will really start being able to live out of the garden again. Sissy hopes between now and then that all their long-term preps foods hold up. Having enough to go around for her family's meals is a constant source of concern. Her own weight loss, which had leveled off after Laura Cox's intervention, has started happening again. Scott isn't pleased but even a little work in this heat really burns up the calories. Some weight loss is to be expected she'll just need to make sure everyone's is kept in check, including her own.

To mark the one year anniversary of the pandemic, a couple of the local television and radio stations do "the year in review" type shows, but the broadcast takes place while the family is without power. Some of the television stations simulcast with the radio stations, but the speakers on the shows refer to charts and pictures so often that the radio versions doesn't make much of an impact on the listeners. By and large, it is nothing more than rehashes of old news bulletins, presidential speeches, and congressional debates. Sissy isn't sure if anyone will every really know the full impact of this pandemic year; certainly not for many years to come.

Starting one of the family's morning educational discussions Scott asks the kids, "What did you think of the show last night?"

"I think we could have put a better one together just using people here in the neighborhood," answers James.

"I didn't like the simulcast aspect. They kept referring to some Power Point presentation. Couldn't they have at least explained what they were referring to for those of us who were listening to the radio broadcast?" asks Rose.

"I didn't like how they kept putting on people that cried," says Bekah.

Sarah agrees and adds, "Yeah, that was totally creepy. I mean its sad and all but everyone already knows that. Then on top of the people in the interviews crying they had sound effects of little kids crying. The baby crying sound was the worst."

"You are all right. They could have done a much better job on the show. But it reflects the fact that a lot of industries, including the entertainment industry, has lost a lot of their skilled and talented laborers," responds Scott.

Sissy adds her opinion by saying, "It was also probably due in some part to there not being an adequate liaison between the two medias. Television is very visual, radio is strictly auditory. More knowledgeble production staff would have realized the problems before the show was aired. The whole thing seemed rushed and amateurish compared to what was produced prepandemic."

Rose then mentions, "They are having the same type of problem in my college classes. They are re-using some audio lectures they used last semester and some of the lessons don't make sense because the visuals are missing. I got bumped by one of the TA's in the science department asking me if I would TA for the Freshmen English I forum because so many questions were being posted that the professor in charge couldn't keep up."

"How did they get your name? You're a new student and technically a freshman yourself."

"They went through the student body records and any one that made A's in both FE I and FE II are being contacted. When I explained I took those classes as a dual enrolled student and told them my age, they didn't care. All they cared about was my grades in those two classes and my overall GPA. The fact I have an academic scholarship only put me higher on the list. They are desperate for help with the forums."

"Are you going to get a stipend or something? Most TA's do," asks Scott.

"I think this is all voluntary but with extra privileges."

"What kind of privileges?"

"I'm not sure. But they mentioned we might be able to access old exams from the classes we are taking as well as free access to their electronics libraries at the main campus branch and the science library including all of their academic journal subscriptions."

"It would be nice if they would help with the cost of books."

"I don't know Dad. This just happened. It's being put together really fast so all the details haven't been hammered out."

"If this is something you want to do, fine. But don't let it affect your own GPA or interfere with your responsibilities here at home."

"No sir. I won't. I don't want to risk my academic standing or I'll lose my scholarships. And I know Mom can't do everything."

After a breakfast of muffins made with the help of some Amish Friendship Bread starter, Rose heads off to her room after collecting her laptop batter from the solar recharger. Sarah and Bekah get their own school projects and sit with Johnnie while he plays with Legos. James and Scott go to hang up the solar shower bags for the day's hot water supply. James prefers doing his school work later in the day, after his chore are all done and the girls and Johnnie aren't underfoot so much.

This leaves Sissy to clean up the kitchen and go through what little bit of fresh produce they still have to see what needs to be used up first before it spoils. Just as she was putting the last dish into the dish drainer to dry, there is a knock at the door.

"Sissy, its Laura Cox. Have you got a minute?"

Sissy quickly goes out the front door to find Laura looking even more serious than normal.

"Hey Laura. Let's sit over here out of the sun. The look on your face says something is up."

"Not really. I just came by to see how you were doing. Tom said except for the heat we're all suffering from you looked a lot better than you did there for a while. I wanted to see for myself."

"I am better, thank you for asking."

"You sure you aren't just saying that?"

"No. I really do feel better. I was letting myself go too much. I freaked Scott out pretty bad and I still catch him watching me like he's afraid I'm going to fall apart again."

"No more bad days huh?"

"I'd be lying if I went that far. I still get the weeps every once in a while. I finally said something to my aunt. She used to work at the State Hospital, and she mentioned something I'd never even considered."

"What?"

"She asked if I was perimenopausal or having hormonal issues. I told her I was still too young for that but she told me my cousin, her daughter, had gone through menopause before she turned 45. I'd had no idea and don't know if it runs in the family or not."

"Do you think that's what the problem is?"

"Oh I don't know. I don't have any other symptoms of menopause. Even my monthlies got regular again after my weight loss leveled off. It could be part of it I suppose but I'm pretty sure its not the biggest part. Mostly I think it is being unable to take care of myself the way I should. But we are all in that boat. Add fear, anxiety, you name it. Looking back I was running on autopilot and I'm pretty lucky something worse than passing out didn't happen. But enough about me, what put that look on your face when you first got here?"

"I was fine coming over here. I needed to get out of the house, my oldest is better but he still is driving me nuts with his constantly overprotective behavior. He even snapped at Tom this morning. He is displaying signs of OCD and it just makes me crazy that I can't do anything to help him beyond what we are already doing. But then I had to run into Bob Grinder."

"He'd put a crimp in anybody's day. Wait. He didn't, you know, accost you are anything did he? Tom, Scott, and Barry will blow a gasket."

"No, not really. But would you believe this? He was drunk!"

"Drunk?! There is no way that man has been holding onto liquor all this time."

"If he wasn't drunk he was on something. He wasn't falling down stupid or anything, but he would definitely have failed a field sobriety test."

"Lord, that's all we need around here. A drunk."

"A belligerent drunk. He was spouting off at the mouth with that nasty Vince Johnson. They were talking about something and how everyone was gonna owe them big."

"Good grief! You don't happen to know when Barry Jr. is going to be back around do you? I hate to bother him when he is off duty but this sounds like trouble waiting to happen."

"Yeah. A lot of people in the neighborhood have lost patience with Grinder and his wife. We've managed to avoid major problems with them so far, but it wouldn't take much to tip the scales. You saw what happened to Vince when people found out he was bringing home those underage girls and letting them stay in the house and eat in exchange for sex."

"I heard about it but never saw him. Did anyone finally find out who it was who kicked the crap out of him?"

"You haven't heard?!"

"Scott's tight as a clam about it so I stopped asking."

"It was his own brother! After Mr. Johnson died in that diabetic coma, Vince apparently started terrorizing his grandmother. She finally got up the never to call her son, Vince's dad. Vince's brother shows up the next day, beats the living hell out of Vince, throws this naked girl out onto the lawn and while they're both lying there senseless, packs up their grandmother and all her belonging and leaves, nearly running over Vince in the process."

"If it wasn't anyone here on the block, I wonder why Scott wouldn't tell me?"

"It happened not too long after you collapsed. Everyone was refusing to talk even if they had witnessed it because Vince tried to bring a complaint against his brother and no one wanted to cooperate with it."

"Scott did say that Barry Jr. said he'd arrest Vince if he found him with another under-aged girl, whether she was willing or not."

"Yeah. I heard that too. So far he hasn't, at least not around here. Look, I didn't mean to stay so long, my son is going to be going bonkers. I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"Thanks for thinking of me. I don't want you walking back by yourself if Grinder has a toot on. Let me get Scott."

"No. Really its all right."

"Uh uh. You know Tom wouldn't let me walk back by myself under those circumstances. Besides when Scott hears about this you know he's gonna get the guys together anyway. Might as well let him make your house the first stop."

"Oh all right. Maybe he can keep Tom from decking Grinder. Tom is to the point he is starting to hate that guy. He is still living in his grandparents house and its just two houses over from us on the opposite side of the road."

Scott comes back a couple of hours later to report, "By the time we tracked Grinder down he was counting daisies under a tree, high as a kite and barely lucid."

"I don't know who is more disgusting, Grinder or Vince Johnson. I know every neighborhood has at least one bad apple, but why did we get stuck with those two?"

"You shoulda heard a couple of the guys. They said he might be counting daisies today, but if Vince Grinder gets caught bothering another female no matter what her age is, they're gonna find themselves pushing up daisies."

"Lovely. I take it those two have finally pushed everyone passed forbearance."

"Yeah buddy. And Grinder just grinned like an idiot when we tried to find out where he had gotten the liquor from."

"He wouldn't say or was too drunk to answer?"

"Barry said he might not have been drunk 'cause as bad as he stunk, he didn't stink like a drunk. And it wasn't marijuana 'cause that has a distinctive smell also."

"Well then what could it have been?"

"Don't know but Barry's got a call out to his son's sub-station. We've got a good thing going on our block. Drugs is something that could mess it up quick and bring in violence that no one wants."

Scott and Sissy both agree with that. For the rest of the day, as they went about their chores, they checked all of their security measures to make sure nothing had been compromised or needing reinforcing. It was a sorry day when on top of everything else, they had to start worrying about addicts and pedophiles living in their neighborhood.


	41. Chapter 40

_**Chapter 40**_

What a horrible day this has turned into. Despite all of the extra rain, most families in Tampa must still rely on water from local lakes, ponds, and canals for some of their water. Due to the heat, some people would also go down to the water to cool off. Once Sissy finds out how many people are doing this, she refuses to use water from the ponds and canals around their neighborhood, even for watering the garden. The danger of contamination is too great. Because of this Sissy rarely thinks about what else could go wrong with being around the local "wild" water sources. Sissy has enough problems of her own to solve and knows that Scott has tried to warn people in the neighborhood to be careful. At a certain point, you have to let people take responsibility for their own choices.

But people who were using those water sources should have given it more thought. Other people should have remembered that this is Florida; and that there have been sightings of dangerous wildlife in their neighborhood almost every year for as long as anyone can remember. Obviously, need warred with common sense as did the "it can't happen to me or mine" thought process.

Earlier in the day, three brothers went down to the canal behind their house to wade in the water. Afterwards, the boys said they were down there for just a minute when the youngest was pulled down and out into the canal. The boys' screaming immediately drew responses from every adult within earshot. What they see when they arrive is like a scene from a horror movie. The two older brothers are struggling to pull the youngest from the water. No matter how hard they struggle, they can barely keep him from going under much less get him to dry land. Attached to his leg, just below his knee, are the jaws of an alligator.

The adults all run down the embankment, men and women, and wade in to save the boys. Some grab the boy and pull and some commence to beating the gator in hopes of running him off. Mr. Jones tries to stab the animal with a sharp pitchfork but is swept off his feet by the thrashing tail. Mr. Cleary is beating the animal with a baseball bat until he too is dunked.

Tom Cox, whose great grandfather was a Seminole Indian and who has hunted gators down in the 'Glades, is able to get a line on the alligator. He lets the animal roll until he has wrapped himself all up in the rope. This gives everyone a way to pull the animal to the bank, which will get the boys to dry land.

The animal continues to try to roll so several men pile on him and Barry strikes the back of the gator's head several times with a sledgehammer. The animal finally releases his jaws enough so the adults can obtain the boy's release. All of this terror and work and it was only a four foot gator. They would not have been able to subdue anything larger in time to save the kid.

What an awful sight. The boy's leg is obviously broken and is mangled. He is in shock with a thin, reedy pulse. While some of the adults get him stabilized and wrap the leg, Tom Cox runs to get his pick up truck and Scott runs to get a can of fuel. They both meet at the canal bank and they get the boy and his parents loaded into the truck bed and head off to the fire station that is about 2.5 miles down US41.

The other two boys are left in the care of the neighborhood. They are understandably shaken and have scrapes and cuts of their own where they fought for their brother's life. Their wounds are washed and fussed over by everyone. They are given a hot sweet drink and put in the shade and are not left alone for even a moment. They are prodded to eat and held when they cry. Even the oldest, a highschool junior who played varsity football, sheds more than a few tears, scared to death his baby brother is going to die.

At the fire station, the boy receives immediate attention. In a lucky turn of events, one of very few seen on this day, a doctor has been temporarily assigned to the station as an experiment to try and give some relief to the community clinics. As bad as the leg is, the doctor still opts to treat him in an open-air operating room rather than run the risk of cross infection at the hospital. In the boy's weakened condition, he is a prime candidate to get influenza or some other infection like MRSA.

The doctor makes no promises, but does his best to save both the boy and his leg. After the wounds are cleaned and treated, the leg is stabilized with a splint to allow for daily cleaning and re-bandaging. The parents are given strict instructions on wound care and what to do at the first sign of infection. Unfortunately pain medication is in short supply. They give the boy what they can, but it will only last about 48 hours. Antibiotics are impossible to come by right now so it will be even more important to clean and dress the wound with the utmost care. There is still a greater than even chance the boy will lose the leg anyway, even under the best of care. They will know within the week at the latest.

Returning home, they found the gator already skinned and the meat prepared for a "Stone Soup" gathering. Several families have donated what medical supplies they can pull together for the boy's care. Several with some wound care experience volunteer to help spell the parents so they can get some rest.

The parents of the boys thank every one for helping and then settle in for a few long days of waiting for signs of infection. Tom drives his pick up back to his house, Scott dumps a couple gallons of fuel in it and then he walks home to his own family.

"How is the boy?" Sissy asks anxiously.

"He'll live, if they can keep any infection from getting out of control. I think the doc was calling it sepsis or something like that. He might still lose the leg. No one is sure right now. The doctor they have up at the station came close to just amputating the leg from the knee down."

"Oh my Lord. What are the chances of infection?" Sissy asks in a horrified voice.

"Pretty good unfortunately. That canal isn't real clean and neither is a gator's mouth. They gave the kid a shot of some kind of antibiotic but there weren't any pills for him to send home. The boy had a tetanus shot at his last school check up so that part was OK. Even if they can deal with any infection, his bone was snapped clean in two, and they were setting it without benefit of x-rays. So while it might heal, it more than likely will need to be re-broken and set some time down the road. Worse though is the muscle and soft tissue damage. He'll definitely need some kind of extensive work and therapy, but who knows when he'll get it."

"Is there anything we can do?"

"Everyone in the neighborhood is pitching in. Serena and Anne have started a big tub of washing for everyone's wet and muddy clothes. Mr. Cleary has stretched the gator hide to make something for the boys, a memento of some sort I guess. Mr. Jones has posted a warning sign and has gotten on his bike and is spreading the news about what happened. Don't bother calling or sending a telegram … just tell Jonesie. People are volunteering to sit with the boys, help with meals, work in the family's garden, and whatever else they feel led to do."

"Count me in. I can fix some broth and I'll take it over."

"Uh uh. No you won't. You can make the broth, but I'll take it over, " Scott snaps.

"Excuse me?!" Sissy says, rather taken aback by Scott's sudden change in tone.

Scott bends his head and rakes his hand though his hair, something he only does when he is under a lot of stress. "Look. I didn't mean to bite your head off. Its just we've gotten all off track from our social distancing plan. You've gone to the grocery store four times now. It eats me alive each time you go. And we are exposing the kids . . . "

"I wear a mask and gloves and they don't let anyone in who is cou . . " Sissy says, trying to allay his fears.

As Scott begins pacing he says, "I don't care. Things have got to change. I'm not being as careful when I come home from work either. People are still getting sick. The EMTs up at the fire station were telling Tom and me some stuff. I just don't want to take any more unnecessary changes. I know you and the kids, especially you, have gotten used to getting out more and I am sorry. I couldn't live with myself if something happens to any of you, especially this late in the game, just because we got complacent."

After staring at Scott and realizing how serious he was, she accepts this is a non-negotiable issue for him – for now any way. Sissy capitulates with more grace than she feels like for Scott's sake. She gives him a hug and goes inside to fix the broth. And she tries really hard to not get bent out of shape. She knows Scott is just trying to protect his family. But it isn't easy for her to keep her mouth shut and the suddenness of Scott's outburst leaves her feeling close to tears.

For Scott's part, he feels like a heel. He knows Sissy has begun to look forward to getting out and away from all the work she has to do. He knows the kids enjoy the extra freedom they have had lately. But he and Tom talked on the way home. Neither man is comfortable with the stories they heard from professionals who should know. They realize that their neighborhood really does have it fairly good because they started working together and cooperating early on. What they had not realized was that the problems they have been seeing in the traditionally lower socio-economic areas of town where they work actually is mirrored in the "best" parts of town. According to the EMTs, some of the formerly "better" parts of town are actually more even more dangerous than the formerly "bad" parts of town. Life continues to dole out surprises, usually right when you think you are beginning to get things figured out.

Both Scott and Tom expect to catch a lot of flack for the new rules. Neither one knows if it will be their kids or their wives who will object the most. Hopefully they'd be around to make it up for the return to stricter rules when the pandemic is over. They just want their families to live that long.


	42. Chapter 41

_**Chapter 41**_

Scott is as good as his word. Sissy does no more grocery runs. Scott quickly finishes off the remainder of their grocery vouchers and picks up what he can in staple items like rice and flour. He most assuredly does not relish the experience and tells Sissy that she must have really been hard up for entertainment if she did. Sissy just shakes her head and tries really, really hard not to say "I told you so." The one bright spot here at the tail end of August is that when Sissy's brother comes back to collect his car he also brings good news concerning her parents and some fresh produce from their neck of the woods.

Sissy's parents have been lucky enough to get a hold of a hand pump for their potable water well. Now they have water whether the power is on or not. Her dad tried monkeying around with a 12V solar system for power, but their five acres is so treed over, especially around the house where the well is located, that he could never seem to get it to juice up. The small energy cooperative that serves their county has collapsed and their power is on every third or fourth day only because the National Guard has taken over the facilities.

Sissy's parents still continue to collect water though because it is what most people do and they don't want to draw any unwanted attention to themselves. They have even covered the pump with a small well house to make it as inconspicuous as possible. They wouldn't mind sharing, but some people take advantage, and its just safer to fly under the radar when you have something most other folks don't. The doctor knows, but as a former military flight surgeon, he isn't as altruistic as you would expect and has done his part to keep the secret, especially as he directly benefits from it.

Her brother couldn't stay long so they quickly unload the produce, load the car into the trailer and watch as he heads back to the highway. At least this time Scott has a chance to see his brother in law and to ask his own questions about how things are going around the state. He has a vantage from his trucking that a lot of people don't. According to him, there are pockets of abject misery, but most people are doing the best they can and are getting by . . . but it is a far piece from the way things used to be.

Sissy's brother did mention a funny incident. Seems he actually got to meet Devon McLoud, the travelling reporter. He had pulled his rig over, waiting for a checkpoint to open up near I95 outside of Jacksonville and McLoud was walking down the long line of semis asking the drivers what they had seen and heard on their trips. Some of the truckers were offering up tidbits of news that the general public might not otherwise hear.

For their part, Scott and Sissy put together some rice, ears of corn still in their husk, some chayote, and some sugar for her brother to take back with him. From her parents they received the last of the blackberries that her mom had been able to pick, six five gallon bucketfuls of canning pears, grapes – both domesticated and Muscadine, and about a bushel and a half of peaches. Sissy makes a mental note to try and arrange for her brother to come by when the citrus starts coming in. Citrus is something that her parents live too far north to grow. Her dad can't eat the grapefruit because it interferes with his cholesterol medication, but she is sure they would appreciate some oranges or lemons.

The grapes the family eats fresh. The blackberries too as there weren't that many of them. The peaches and the canning pears Sissy preserves in light syrup or makes into fruit butter for spreading on homemade bread or biscuits.

It blows Sissy's mind some times. First there is abundance and everyone is happy and content. Then the pendulum swings and now again there is something else to worry about. Hurricane season is not over and though it has not been quite as active with named storms as was predicted, there is a storm on Florida's horizon again. This one is proving to be even more unpredictable than Edouard, and it's not because of meteorological ineptitude. Every time they think they have a track for it, it swings a different way. As a result of its wandering pattern it is getting stronger because it is remaining over warm waters longer. Everyone is getting nervous and there is a lot of talk around the neighborhood about what they can do if the storm heads their way.

Just to be on the safe side, Scott and James begin to do their pre-storm inspection routine. They check the roof inside and out. Scott puts more roofing tar over those places where bullets came in just to be as safe as possible. There is no sense in risking damage for want of a little tar. They also dismantle the old dog kennel and take down the trellis that are currently not in use and put them in the shed. Scott remarks that it is a good thing that it is a newer shed with good hurricane tie-downs on it. It's also a good thing that they covered the windows months ago, though it was for security rather than to prevent storm damage. Scott and his crew follow the same routine at all of the properties he manages as well as at Barry and Tom's houses. He tells all of the tenants that they need to bring in anything that isn't nailed down at the first sign of the storm.

For her part, Sissy goes around their garden and harvests the last of the chayote. That is the only thing to be harvested from the yard. She worries about their new seedlings but most are in containers that can be brought in. The remainder of the recently planted items haven't even sprouted to any great degree yet. The one thing she is in a quandary about are the bathtubs that they have the potatoes planted in. Scott says to leave them until they are for sure that a storm is on the way. If it is, he will use the rolling jack and dolly to bring them in through the French doors. Scott talks to Barry and Tom and they too are feeling a little antsy about the storm that can't make up its mind.

Barry says, "This thing reminds me too much of Hurricane Elena from back in '85. I was renting a place over near the Port of Tampa that year and the place had water in it passed the four foot mark. What are they calling this storm again?"

"Josephine. That was my mother in law's name. Pray that this storm ain't nothing like her," Tom replies as he theatrically shudders.

The men get a good laugh, but all twitch their shoulders like a goose has walked across a grave. As it turns out, it's the last laugh they have for a while.

"Man I am so sick and tired of everything always going wrong!" complains James.

"Honey, try and relax. Some of that is just life," Sissy says as she tries to calm James down.

"Well life sucks then."

"James." Sissy says using her your-treading-on-thin-ice voice.

"Come on Mom. You can't tell me that you are like all bubbly and happy."

"I'm not saying things are going perfectly son. I guess everyone witnessed my melt down a couple of months ago and would know it for a lie if I tried to play it otherwise. But things are no where near as black for us as they could be. We are all healthy and still alive, we have food to eat, the bills are still getting paid."

"Yeah right. And all of that could change tomorrow."

"James, I know things are rough. I can't even pretend to tell you when they are going to get better. I can't even tell you if they are going to go back to the way they used to be. But we are really blessed. It's up to us whether we take the time to appreciate what we have or not. None of us are ever promised tomorrow. We can plan on it, but that doesn't mean we will ever experience it."

"Mom … ," starts James as he rolls his eyes and crosses his arms. "You just don't get it."

"I do get it; maybe better than you think. You don't think I've been depressed and anxious and everything else? What do you think all of that was about when I was getting sick? But at a certain point you have to make up your mind that no matter what happens you are going to keep trying regardless of what happens."

"Why?! Why keep trying when we just keep getting kicked in the teeth?"

"For all those times when we don't 'get kicked in the teeth.' What about the good times you've had with your Dad? You would never have been able to spend as much time with him if things hadn't turned out the way they have. You remember the long hours he used to work. Or what about everything we've learned on how to survive? These are the kind of skills that will last us the remainder of our days. No one can ever take that from us. What about the fact we are still all alive and together? Not everyone in your family can say that and you know it. The last we heard about your cousin is that he was picked up and is now in a prison infirmary, assuming he is even still alive. You want your Dad or I to trade places with your uncle?"

"No, but … I am just so sick of having to 're-use, make do, or do without' and I'm really tired of always having to think 'better safe than sorry.' I'm sorry, but that's the way I feel."

"I'm not knocking your right to feel this way James. I am saying that when you start feeling this way, the only way to feel better is to start thinking about the things you do have and not dwell on the things you don't. Believe me. There are days I have to go find a quiet corner and count my blessings or I'll implode out of sheer frustration and fear."

"Things just don't stop. Its always something. We put all that work into fixing up the garden and we could lose it all because of some stupid storm."

"Yes we could. But that doesn't mean we will. Have some faith buddy. Everyone is doing everything they can. We may lose some stuff if the storm comes our way, but we'll still have a lot of stuff in the house to get the garden going again."

"Yeah, and if we lose the house? We are talking a hurricane here."

"We'll cross that bridge if we come to it. Your Dad and I have talked about moving to one of the rental units if that happens. We've got options, more options than a lot of people have. Let's just take this one step at a time. In the absolute worse scenario we'll move to your grandparents' place. I don't want to, but it could happen if we needed to. As for the rest, let's just take it one day at a time."

"That's easy for you to say."

"No it's not. It's really, really not. The wisdom I'm sharing with you has been hard won. Just don't give up hope and faith that things will eventually work out. We may get tired, we may get sick again, we may get hungry … but for now we are doing OK. Try and just be satisfied with that for a bit."

James sighs, "I'll try. But, it just doesn't seem fair that we are still going through all of this. This was supposed to be like a three-month event or something. It's been over a year now. When are things going to get better?"

"Look son, the only thing I know is that even prepandemic things were never as quick and as easy as we wanted or expected them to be. Bad things have always happened right along with the good. Sometimes the bad things are really bad and sometimes the good things are really good. We are doing pretty much all we can to make things better for our family. We also try and make things better for the people that have turned out to be our friends. Just keep trying and one of these days you _will_ wake up to find out the pandemic is over with. What happens after that is anyone's guess at this point."


	43. Chapter 42

_**Chapter 42**_

 _Beep . . . beep . . . beep_

 _Beep . . . beep . . . beep_

The broadcasters in your area in voluntary cooperation with Homeland Security, the FCC and other authorities have developed this system to keep you informed in the event of an emergency. This is not a test.

 _Beep . . . beep . . . beep_

 _Beep . . . beep . . . beep_

They have been hearing that signal off and on since yesterday. Hurricane Josephine, now a category 4 storm, has been wreaking havoc on the west Gulf Coast for the last two days. The storm began as a mild tropical wave off of the coast of Africa. Originally it was moving west so quickly that everyone expected it to remain disorganized and be ripped apart by wind shear. However, as it moved through the Greater Antilles it slowed down and began to strengthen, turning into a tropical depression when it was between Haiti and Cuba. After paralleling the northern coast of Cuba it became a tropical storm. After getting into the warm, open waters of the Gulf of Mexico it too less than 24 hours for it to become a hurricane.

It was making a beeline for Mississippi when it suddenly slowed and stalled out due to a frontal trough of low pressure that turned the storm to the northeast. But when the trough outran the storm, steering currents collapsed leaving behind a stalled, strengthening hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico.

No one is quite sure which way this storm is going to go. It is nearly stationary. Rainfall totals are currently ranging from about one inch down in Key West, FL to over ten inches and rising in Manatee Springs State Park in Chiefland, FL. The outer bands of the storm are producing some strong tornadoes and several trailer parks have reported bad damage across a wide area, including two to the immediate north and one to the immediate south of the Chapman's neighborhood. Pinellas County has been dealing with storm surge as has the entire shoreline of Tampa Bay. The last tide is reported to be seven feet above normal in the Bay, which means lots and lots of flooding and property damage all along the coast and intracoastal waterways.

There are areas of Pinellas County that have already become islands form rainfall alone, cut off from the rest of the county by more than 5 feet of water where drainage ditches and pumps are clogged and inoperative. Intersections are impassable, even if you are crazy enough to be out in the weather and give it a try. All of the Bay bridges are shut down due to high winds, further cutting off Pinellas. Major damage is being reported on the Howard Franklin Bridge and the Memorial Causeway. There are a large number of wash outs along the Intercoastal Waterways.

MacDill AFB has at least two feet of standing water all along the water way that surrounds the base. Any grounded jets and other aircraft have been tied down or moved into storm resistant hangers. Not much other information is coming in from the base.

Bayshore Drive is almost totally flooded out. All of those retirement condominiums and expensive homes facing the water always have been a disaster waiting to happen. Palmetto Beach and Hooker's Point, two areas immediately adjacent to the Port of Tampa, are suffering appalling flooding. Because of the low-lying topography, any flooding reaches very far inland. What makes it worse is that these areas have traditional areas of town where the working poor lived. They were seeing significant revitalization during '06 but the '07/'08 real estate bust quickly ended the trend.

All major roadways are under flood advisory. Many secondary roadways are impassable. There have been several reported roof collapses in some commercial strip centers and warehouses in the business districts. Downtown Tampa is completely flooded and the Channel 10 news building has been evacuated. Davis Island is completely cut off and that means that Tampa General Hospital will likely suffer significant damage.

Several schools, formerly used as hurricane evacuation locations, were converted to panflu treatment facilities. Now hurricane evacuees have no place to go. Not only that, the close environments of the typical evacuee facility is totally against the strict social distancing protocols that are in effect. Some churches, not strictly approved as evacuation locations, have opened their doors but are asking people to bring food and water to share as they have nothing to offer but a roof and a dry place to lay down.

So far the part of the Hillsborough River that runs through parts of Tampa, Temple Terrace is not flooding. There are a few flooded homes, but this is due mostly to people who refused to take advantage of the natural flood resistant areas when they were building. Outside of the city and into the outer parts of Hillsborough County it is another story. The Alafia River and the Little Manatee River are swollen and are expected to crest somewhere around 10 feet above flood stage. In the north of the county, the Hillsborough River, at Morris Bridge road, will likely crest at two feet above flood stage and at Zephyrhills the river it will be four feet above flood stage.

Scott, Sissy, and their kids are suffering through the storm like everyone else. So far there has been no major damage that they can tell. Scott and Sissy do have to struggle out into the storm when wind driven debris is tossed into their yard or thrown against their fence. Several people must have tried to set their rain barrels up to catch water as some barrels have rolled down the road and smashed against their house. These they brought in to save damage and to see if they could be returned to their owners later on. With this wind those types of mistakes are foolhardy and will cost plenty. As the wind really began to whip that first day, Scott and James decide to go ahead and bring in everything – including the bathtubs they are using as raised gardening beds. It is a wet and muddy mess, but when the winds really start howling in the night, they are thankful to have already had the task out of the way.

Scott also closes all of the security shutters on the rear of the house and re-boarded the remainder of the windows they had been forced to open because of the heat. The security shutters are on the outside to prevent window breakage, but the makeshift security boards on the rest of the house are on the inside. So far no broken windows, but they can't count on that staying true. If they do lose a window, Scott has some Plexiglas to patch the hole, but they'll have to watch for wind-driven water damage until he can get it repaired.

As the storm progresses they lose a screen off of one of the windows and a screen is torn on the lanai. Scott has an extra screening in the shed for the window, but Sissy figures the lanai is going to require some darning and ingenuity to fix. Their pool's water level, that has been down over two and a half feet, is now nearly over flowing. Water is pouring in from the rain, water off the roof, and water that has swamped the backyard. For now, the canals, ponds, retention areas, and lakes that surround their neighborhood are taking all the rain and holding up. Only one subdivision close to them is being threatened. Tiffany Lakes is an upper scale neighborhood that has had consistent problems with flooding over the last 10 years. There are no pumps to help this time and no place to pump the water to even if they could.

Scott is worried about their septic field collapsing. He does not want anyone in the yard barefooted until things are dried out and he can tell whether anything has started bubbling up or if something nasty has been washed into the yard. Actually he wants everyone to use rubber goulashes until he says otherwise just to be on the safe side. Sissy thinks it is a good idea if for no other reason than it will keep gross stuff from being tracked inside. The outside disinfection station that they had built at the first sign of the pandemic has really come in handy. Most of their family takes showers outside now rather than make a muggy mess inside. This way, so long as it is muddy outside, they'll clean up before coming inside to keep from tracking anything in. That is if the privacy fence walls make it through the storm intact.

When the wind really starts to kick it up a notch, Scott and Sissy move their family into the center of the house where there is a bathroom that does not have any windows. They bring a couple of twin mattresses to reinforce their protection as well as some plastic sheeting in case the ceiling begins to leak, although they hope it is unlikely as there is a double roof over this portion of the house from a previous building addition. They move all the linens out of the closet and load it as full of food and dry goods as they can manage and even put stuff in the bathtub underneath a sheet of plywood. The kids all go to sleep in there with the walls blocking the sound of the storm raging, while Scott and Sissy prowl around the house.

"I wonder how Barry, Tom, and their families are holding up," Sissy whispers, to keep from waking any of the kids.

"They should do OK. Both are solid men and they have done as much storm prep as we have. Tom doesn't have any trees in his yard except for some small citrus trees. The rest is just greenery. Barry has that one big tree, but he has been pruning it all year to cure wood for cooking fuel. We're the ones with too many dang trees in the yard. I know we are bound to lose that long, tall oak that has started leaning," replies Scott just as quietly.

"At least it is leaning away from the house. But if it falls it will block the road."

"Well, its not like there are too many people out driving."

"Funny dear. Ha ha. Seriously though, are you worried about any of the rental properties? I know you all spent as much time as you could at them, but with delayed maintenance items to deal with and few supplies …" Sissy's own concern is reflected in her tone of voice.

"I'm worried about all of them; especially that one out on 113th street. That area floods in a bad rainstorm if they don't have the pumps going. You really think they are going to be able to keep the pumps going during a hurricane?"

"We've done good to keep things up as well as we have. You and the guys are breaking your backs to make things better every time you go out. There is only so much we can do. You aren't superman. "

Before Scott can reply they hear an audible crack from the front of the house and peek out to see that the top of an oak that stood in their neighbor's yard has snapped off and landed in their driveway, just missing one of their grapefruit trees. As the last of the weak light leaves the sky, Scott and Sissy bolt the door and retreat to spend the remainder of the night watching over their children. Goodness only knows what they are going to find come morning.

A couple of days later Sissy finds it easier to recount their storm damage in a letter to her cousin than she did trying to tell her parents, who she luckily reached via email on the laptop the morning after the storm passed through.

* * *

 _Dear Sadie,  
_  
 _I don't know how reliable the information is that is getting out. All our news here is local. We aren't even hearing much from the state level. All the national and international news has been run off the air by the storm coverage. To be honest I'm not even sure when or if this letter will make it out. But, with nothing but extremely intermittent power and downed phone lines as far as the eye can see, I'm trying to let family know what has happened with whatever resources I can scrounge up.  
_  
 _First off, our family is very lucky to have the solar battery re-charger we originally bought for camping. And, I'm glad Scott went ahead and got the bigger one than the one that I was willing to make do with. It helps keep the cell phone and lap top batteries charged. The DSL lines are still operating, as are the Fios lines but sometimes a connection is still hard to get. A couple of cell towers have been lost, but you can still get a line if you sit and try over and over and over again to get past the busy signals. We've left messages and email for those we can; but, like us, many people are dealing with lost or intermittent services.  
_  
 _Scott and a lot of the men (and women) in the neighborhood have been doing their best to get all of the roof repairs dealt with around here. No one that we know lost their whole roof though there are news reports of some that were caused by tornadoes a little north of the county line. No one in our neighborhood even lost any roof decking, but there are some torn shingles and ripped away gutters. A couple had their ridge vents damaged and lots of folks have minor soffit and fascia damage. We are lucky, no outright leaks, but the rain was blowing so hard at one point that it was blowing into our ridge vents. As a result, the back bedroom ceiling got pretty wet as did all of the insulation immediately above that room.  
_  
 _We've removed all of the wet insulation and opened windows and attic accesses to try and get things dried out. We rigged up a kind of pulley system with an old bike and fan so we can keep the air circulating up there. Hubby is trying to locate a spare car battery that we can alternate with the van charging them to use with a power converter we have. If we can do that then we can stop taking turns pedaling the bike. The heat and humidity is so bad we can only take 10 minute shifts or we risk heat exhaustion.  
_  
 _Everything is just so humid. I made up a chlorine solution from the pool chemicals we had left over and sprayed the rafters and the underside of the roof decking so hopefully we won't have to deal with mold and mildew on top of everything else. Boy, does that stuff smell. I was wearing one of Scott's painting respirators and I still got dizzy. We had to evacuate the house for a couple of hours just to let things air out. We all sat in the backyard, drinking warm blackberry shrub and swatted the mosquitoes.  
_  
 _There are several downed trees on our street. Even if there was fuel for the chainsaws, there aren't any replacement chains and even Scott's are nearly too thin to sharpen one more time. Everyone is getting a real work out with hand saws, axes, and hatchets, cutting limbs and trees – some really huge – down into lengths that can be stacked for drying and curing. We lost one good-sized oak in the front yard and had two more large pieces of trees land in our driveway. Thankfully, the trees didn't strike anything important, but they made a hideous mess to clean up.  
_  
 _All of the canals, lakes, and ponds flooded around here and are still well above normal, but no one that we know was flooded out. A few came close, but nothing got in the house. The family that lives directly across the street from us is sitting on their back porch fishing for their dinner in what used to be a rose garden.  
_  
 _We did have one of our rental properties flood. In fact, the whole area where the house is located flooded because the city failed to keep the pumps on. It could have been worse. The water didn't get above the baseboards and that saved the walls. Scott just had to rip out all of the carpet and padding and most of the linoleum had to come up as well. The tenant is just grateful that she still has a place to live. She said that a concrete floor is easier to sweep than carpet anyway. Thank goodness for realistic people.  
_  
 _Get this. Scott had wondered how to get rid of all the wet carpet and stuff when the tenant said just to leave it because someone would steal it eventually. Hard to believe, but that is exactly what happened. What on earth would people want with old carpet padding and rolls of drenched carpet? The smell alone would knock a skunk out.  
_  
 _Several of our other units came close to flooding and there is some roof damage at various units, but nothing catastrophic. Scott and his crew have been dividing their time between our properties and our neighbors' houses. There is more work than you can shake a stick at and they've got requests that will take them 'til next Juvember to fill if they could take all of the work orders. We keep wondering where are all the itinerant workers and self-employed people that did this before the pandemic.  
_  
 _The scary part is that of those people who have been paying their homeowner's insurance, few are getting any response back from their policy carriers, us included. Lawmakers have stepped in to try and help but they aren't making much headway either. There is something bad looming. We already knew that the life and health branches of the insurance industry have all but collapsed, but now the property insurance companies look to be going the same way. I've heard that even Lloyd's of London is not paying out. Thank goodness we planned for a lot of self-insuring, but we had still hoped that we were over-reacting. We may still be in a shortfall. I have no idea if we'll receive the recompense we insured for.  
_  
 _Another thing, I think we are going to be in trouble this winter if people are counting on their citrus fruit. A lot of the small, green fruits were knocked off the trees by the ferocious wind and rain. That's not the worst of it. A lot of people's gardens are wrecked. We didn't lose too much that was not about ready to give out anyway since we bring in all of our containers every night. Some of the stuff I had in the landscaping took a beating, but I don't plant anything there that isn't really hardy. I've had to reset some plants, but overall the damage to our garden efforts is mild, if not exactly minor.  
_  
 _Our chayote vine was shredded by the wind. The entire backyard except were we built the raised beds had ankle deep water. It's still early enough in the season that we can replant, but folks will need seeds to do so. I haven't replanted with my seedlings yet because there is still muddy places in the yard.  
_  
 _As far as the path the storm took, the eyewall never came any closer than 60 miles off of Tampa Bay. It finally got going north again and made landfall at Biloxi, Mississippi but it had dropped to a minimal category 2 by that time. Even so, not much info is coming out of Biloxi. They really didn't need this. I think Josephine is down to a Tropical Wave again and is somewhere near Kentucky. My family up there say they'll welcome the rain as they desperately need it.  
_  
 _Hope you and yours are still doing well. We've been Blessed and wish the same for you all. I'd best get up and get going as the laundry hasn't learned to wash itself yet and there is a ton of it to do.  
_  
 _Your Florida Cousins_

* * *

After finishing the letter Sissy asks Scott if they are going to listen to the radio. She is pretty sure the next Devon McLoud segment is supposed to be aired tonight.

As the family listens to the news, they find that weather isn't just an issue in their neck of the woods. Many geographical regions are experiencing weather phenomena that are no longer mitigatable because of the lack of municipal utilities such as water and electricity.

Devon McLoud's latest installment highlights the cascading and sometimes unusual effects of this. He reports that while in Colorado observing one of the new "neighborhood schools" during recess for a completely different story, one of the adult sentries guarding the complex made a signal and the teachers and older children quickly shepherded the younger children back indoors and closed all the doors and windows despite it being a warm day.

 _As I stood wondering what was going on, one of the young men acting as sentry ran over and told me to follow him. He rushed me back up into his sentry tower – one of a series of armed hunting blinds erected at the four corners of the school yard.  
_  
 _I had no idea what was going on, but suspected the sentries had spotted a danger to the children. They had, but it was not at all what I expected.  
_  
 _The young man pointed out a large black bear that was making a beeline towards the school. When I asked if this was a common problem, he told me that it was one of the primary reasons they installed the tall fence and sentry stations around the school.  
_  
 _I was aware that a wide area of the state had suffered a late freeze in June that killed off a lot of the wild berries in the surrounding hills and mountain. That was followed by lower than normal precipitation, contributing to a drought that was already in its third year. Lack of rain has dried up most of the grasses and roots. Lots of people who had counted on hunting and gathering to supplement their meager and dwindling supplies are suffering. The young man explained the rest of the situation to me.  
_  
 _"The lack of food has been driving the bears down into the valleys. The people still living up in the hills got hit first. Its not just garbage the bears are into, since there isn't much of that around. Now they are so desperate they are busting into houses. The bears have gotten more aggressive the closer it gets to them going into hibernation. Bears are omnivorous, they've been feeding on the weak and small. Pigs, chickens, goats, you name it. They've also killed and partially eaten an elderly couple that lived right on the edge of the National Forest about five miles from here. And in the next town over, they've lost three small children to bear attacks. A friend of mine was mauled and killed right before the town put up this here fence."  
_  
 _When I asked him why didn't they just shoot the bears he said, "We do if we have to, but ammunition costs money and the bears are plentiful. They haven't fattened up enough yet to make them worth killing for food, though some folks have. You also have to be real careful with bear meat because it can make you bad sick."  
_  
 _Later, the man in charge of the town's small militia force told me that their town's goal was to hold out until November when the bears go into hibernation. "We don't want to deplete one of the major predators. Heck, it's the damn bears that helped us deal with the dog packs and all the feral cats. There's a price to pay for environmental balance. We've been educating the town folk and we are already planning work crews to help people reinforce their home security with things like shutters, reinforced doors and the like. But that's for the winter after we've gotten the last from scavenging all the empty houses and ski resorts and backyard gardens. Hopefully, when the bears and cubs come out in the spring we'll be ready for 'em."  
_  
 _The situation faced by this town, and others like it, only re-enforces that the biology of a pandemic goes beyond the direct effects of the virus itself. A pandemic can disrupt environmental factors such as food chains and artificially maintained living conditions. These disruptions can be furthered magnified when naturally occurring, cyclical phenomena – such as weather patterns – come into play.  
_  
 _I'll investigate this further as I make my way over to the Mississippi River. I've been hearing stories of paddle wheelers again being used on the Big Muddy, and I'm looking to ride one down to the Gulf of Mexico. I'll let you know if I get to play Samuel Clemens or not, so stay tuned._


	44. Chapter 43

_**Chapter 43**_

Clean up from the Hurricane Josephine continues and probably will for quite some time yet. Despite storm-related damage, Tampa's infrastructure did not further destabilize though hospitals did have some setbacks. Tampa General Hospital (TGH) received some ground floor damage to their lobbies and waiting areas. Some of the diagnostic areas were also damaged, but most of these aren't being utilized anyway due to lack of electricity to run the diagnostic equipment. Tampa Hospital and St. Joseph's hospital complexes had to move all of their patients back indoors during the storm but suffered little structural damage. All hospitals had a spike in patient deaths, likely due to the additional stress of being moved. As far as the rest of the city, due to the depravation already caused by pandemic economics, people have been forced to return to a way of life that demands more self-sufficiency and personal resiliency. It is a life that demands more patience. Personal property damage is dealt with as it best as can be.

There is little federal government assistance in storm clean up efforts. All government resources are going towards pandemic related issues and food supply chain rebuilding. The Gulf hurricanes have not helped fuel supplies and refining, but then again, higher fuel costs and business closings have also reduced demand. The federal government – temporarily anyway – nationalized most fuel production about four months into the pandemic after many of the big name fuel companies began shutting down due to lack of manpower. The Army Corps of Engineers now has a division exclusively charged to oversee national fuel production. The Coast Guard and Navy have also been called in to protect off shore oil platforms and ports from piracy.

So, despite the appearance that the government has abandoned its people, the reality is that they are taking care of the macro issues and are just as restricted by lack of manpower and resources as everyone else. It is up to the local governments to again be responsible and realistic with local needs. Some areas have better leadership than others.

Clean up is roughly organized by neighborhoods. Where large trees are down, people strip the tree of limbs back to the trunk, primarily using hatchets and axes and a few saws. The wood becomes cooking fuel and a potential source of heat for this winter after it cures. Then the tree trunk is maneuvered out of everyone's way and left wherever it can be pushed.

The utility company crews are doing their best to restore lines; however a shortage of supplies means they have to do a lot of splicing and jury-rigging. This takes more thought and effort and therefore more time, delaying service restoration.

Neighbor is helping neighbor. Those homes with compromised structures are exchanged for abandoned housing, that might need a little rehab but which is still habitable. Vandalism, an ever-present problem, is still rampant but back under control and down to pre-hurricane levels. Some structures, too damaged to remain standing, are stripped of any potentially useful items and are then razed to the ground; through demolition or by controlled burn. All of this occurs without the permits and oversight that would have been required in prepandemic times. This is a new era. People have no choice but to do things for themselves, or through cooperative effort. There isn't any one else to do it for them.

The demolition of unsalvageable buildings begins to address the increasing problem of rodent and insect infestation. Flooding in the Port of Tampa and other areas has driven large rats further into the city. The problem has become such that the county is offering a bounty for each rat caught and killed. Animal control heads this project up as well as the hunting and destruction of violent dog packs. Dog pack hunters have to have special licenses issued by the city, but are paid well for their service.

Scott and Sissy keep up-to-date listening to local radio broadcasts, which occasionally have installments from their favorite reporter at-large, Devon McLoud. They also have a small, battery-operated television that picks up the local public broadcast channels and the three remaining for-profit TV stations. Cable television went off the air long ago. The reception is poor and broadcasts are intermittent; but, the family is still getting more reliable news than a lot of other people. They purchase a converter for the television so can receive broadcast signals where they are digital or analogue.

Speaking of Devon McLoud, his eagerly awaited installment reveals that he did indeed make it down the Mississippi on a paddle wheeler. His reports continue to chronicle the mundane and the extraordinary of the country's pandemic landscape. One of his most recent segments covered the demolition of uninhabitable structures in New Orleans.

 _"The rats sho done inherited the Earth," or at least that's how it feels on some days according to Max Thibodaux . "No matter how many we trap, kill, or burn out more just take their place. And they's sho vicious. Everyday we send folks to de clinic wit bites. Even wit gloves on they can give you a bruising pinch wit dem teeth they got."  
_  
 _Pulling down the buildings, some leftover from the devastation this area suffered at the hands of Hurricane Katrina back in 2005, takes away some of the rats' sanctuaries and helps to interrupt their breeding cycle. It also makes them more vulnerable to predators. But rats are not the only vermin problem facing the city. Roaches and snakes also occupy these buildings as well as the occasional maggot covered corpse. But there is one foe that really worries the neighborhood clean up crews.  
_  
 _"You been in de South any amount a time, you get used to most o' de creep crawlie critters. You get used to 'em or you move back where you came from. But that mess we ran into las' month has us all running cautious," Thibodaux said.  
_  
 _"That mess" was a swarm of Africanized Honey Bees. This fierce hybrid strain is better known as "killer bees." They have the same strength venom as honey bees, but attack in groups. Africanized honey bees are the result of an experiment to increase honey production in Brazil. A swarm escaped a lab and headed north. When they mated with native strains of bees, their offspring proved to be as aggressive as their African parents. They reached the US in 1990 when they were found in Texas; they've continued to spread ever since.  
_  
 _And where one hive of bees is found, you known there are others waiting to be found. During last month's incident, two workers died after they were stung in excess of 800 times each. Most non-allergic people can survive up to 10 stings per pound of body fat. But its not unusual for the amount of venom from a swarm attack to quickly overwhelm a person's autonomic functions.  
_  
 _"We found two otha hives since in de same general area. We was lucky as no one died dem times. We got some stings, but most folks made it to cover befoe de bees could git 'em. Once day settle down, usually de next day, we jus' burn de house down. No sense taking changes you ain't go to."  
_  
 _But taking chances they don't have to is what these neighborhood work groups are all about. The unsung heroes. Without them many towns across America would be much worse off. Its doesn't matter whether they are pulling buildings down or helping to rehabilitate existing structures; delivering food to the hungry or growing food in victory gardens; volunteering in neighborhood schools or helping to retrain thousands of workers that are desperate for jobs; or any of the numerous other unpaid, but very needful, jobs. These people may never have a statue erected in their honor, or have their name engraved on a plaque, but they are heroes nonetheless._

During this time, James' birthday comes and goes and Sissy surprises everyone by making vegan burgers, baked beans, home fries, and fresh baked buns. The burgers are grilled over a small wood fire. But the highlight of the day is when they use some of their precious ice reserves to make "Kick-The-Can Ice Cream."

It is amazing how uplifting a celebratory meal can be. The food doesn't have to be fancy, just filling. And good company, even during sober times, can bring smiles.

The Chapman's neighborhood has gone from weekly "Stone Soup" gatherings to almost daily ones. Parents pick up meals to take home to their children. People take meals to their homebound neighbors. The effort is shared and food and fuel are used more efficiently. So far the neighborhood remains diligent and there are no food borne illnesses or other infectious outbreaks.

A local newspaper ran a story on successful neighborhood ventures. The Chapman's neighborhood is mentioned, though not by exact location for security reasons. For once the author of the piece is both realistic and objective, mentioning both the good and the bad. Some city planners come out to view the set up in hopes of replicating similar ventures in other neighborhoods. Scott muses that it is better late than never, but maybe the hurricane will bring about some good.

With most of the ground now dry enough to replant, people quickly return to their gardens. This month Sissy plants garbanzo beans, lima beans, several varieties of shelling beans and peas in several large barrel halves. She replaces the chayote vine that was on the fence with several yard-long snap bean plants. In freshly prepared window boxes she plants carrots and beets. She also plants broccoli, burdock, cabbage, celeriac, collards, bush cucumbers, garden huckleberries, husk tomatoes (aka ground cherries), Jerusalem artichoke, lettuce, mustard greens, okra, parsnips, salsify, crookneck and zucchini squash, and more tomatoes. She plants more potatoes as well as she is quickly coming to the end of her other main source of dietary starch – rice. This is also the month to start the strawberry plants in hanging baskets. It's a great deal of work, but the potential pay off is huge.

Despite all the planting, harvesting is still lean. Radishes, arugula, and mesclun greens are the only fresh items on the menu. But a nice, spicy green salad always perks a meal up. A little oil and vinegar or Italian dress make it even better.

Thanks to Tom's wife, the family now has a small fresh herb garden. Sarah and Bekah have taken this project for their own and are doing amazingly well with it after they figured out how to keep the tortoises out of their patch. The first try was a sign that showed a turtle in a pot of boiling water with the caption "Turtle Soup." When that didn't work, much to the girls' chagrin, James helped them build a fence from sticks and saw briar vines.

All-in-all people quickly recover from the effects of the hurricane and are now more determined than ever to overcome whatever the pandemic can throw at them. After so many slipped into apathy and discouragement, it seems that the added adversity of the storms is just enough to recharge everyone's determination.

There is some disturbing news coming in from other areas of the country though. The detrimental affects on infrastructure have not just made it hard on the economy and more difficult to address the pandemic. It has left huge gaps in the health care and hygiene industries so that illnesses that were basically eradicated in the 20th century are now making a return engagement in the 21st.

The Gulf Coast of the United States has always been susceptible to diseases. The last Yellow Fever epidemic took place in New Orleans in 1905. In 1900, Dr. Walter Reed had confirmed what had been suspected since the 1880's; Yellow Fever was transmitted by mosquitoes. Five years later many cities were still unprepared. At the time, New Orleans continued to operate a quarantine system. They fumigated ships and sanitized clothing and bedding on board. In the spring of 1905, a smuggler's ship, loaded with bananas, avoided the quarantine requirements. That June cases of yellow fever began appearing near the Mississippi River in a community of immigrants, many of who unloaded banana boats from Central America. The city declared an emergency on June 22, after 100 people had contracted the disease, including 20 who died.

Despite the conclusions of the U.S. Army Yellow Fever Board in 1900, many people in New Orleans still did not treat the threat of mosquitoes seriously. Residents got their water from cisterns. This water storage containers were a breeding ground for the insects. Dr. Quitman Kohnke, the head of the New Orleans health board, urged the city to address the mosquito issue. "Even if you are not positive that the mosquito is the only source of the transmission of yellow fever," he told physicians, "give your city the benefit of the doubt in this important and vital matter." It wasn't until after the outbreak began that the city of New Orleans finally mobilized.

On August 4, local officials requested and received federal assistance. Workers employed the techniques that had proven successful in Havana, another frequent location of yellow fever. They fumigated the city, screened cisterns and destroyed breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Residents who failed to comply with public health measures were heavily fined. After Archbishop Placide Louis Chapelle died from yellow fever, holy water in St. Louis Cathedral was found with mosquito larvae. The priests emptied the containers. Still, the epidemic was not immediately stopped.

On August 12, 100 people fell ill from the disease, but by September the numbers of victims diminished. Further evidence that mosquitoes transmitted the disease surfaced at Charity Hospital, which reported that no other patients or medical personnel became infected from the approximately 100 cases of yellow fever treated there. The public health campaign to address yellow fever was working in a city that fewer than 30 years before had lost thousands to the disease. October marked the end of the epidemic, with 452 deaths recorded in New Orleans. The year also marked the last time a yellow fever epidemic plagued the United States, though the disease has remained a problem elsewhere in the world.

Because many places in the world have returned to a pre-1900 technology, people are again using cisterns and other open containers for securing water. In the southern USA, this means that mosquito populations have exploded. This is further complicated by the lack of spraying for mosquitoes and the fact that many bird populations that ate mosquitoes as part of their diet (such as the Purple Martin) have been greatly reduced by avian influenza.

According to national news reports, a small outbreak of Yellow Fever has been detected along the Louisiana/Mississippi border. The months since the first case has seen additional outbreaks in several other locations. Yellow fever, which is also known as sylvatic fever and viral hemorrhagic fever or VHF, is a severe infectious disease caused by a type of virus called a flavivirus. Once a mosquito has passed the yellow fever virus to a human, the chance of disease developing is about 5-20%. Infection may be fought off by the host's immune system, or may be so mild that it is never identified or recognized.

In human hosts who develop a full-blown case of yellow fever, there are five distinct stages through which the infection evolves. These have been termed the periods of incubation, invasion, remission, intoxication, and convalescence. Yellow fever's incubation period (the amount of time between the introduction of the virus into the host and the development of symptoms) is three to six days. During this time, there are generally no symptoms.

"Invasion" lasts two to five days, and begins with the onset of symptoms, including fever and chills, intense headache and lower backache, muscle aches, nausea, and extreme exhaustion. The patient's tongue shows a white, furry coating in the center, surrounded by a swollen, reddened margin. While most other infections that cause a high fever also cause an increased heart rate, yellow fever results in Faget's sign. This is the simultaneous occurrence of a high fever with a slowed heart rate. Throughout "invasion" there are still live viruses circulating in the patient's blood stream. A mosquito can bite the ill patient, acquire the virus, and pass the infection on to others.

The next phase is called "remission." The fever falls, and symptoms decrease in severity for several hours to several days. In some patients, this signals the end of the disease; in other patients, this proves only to be the calm before the storm. "Intoxication" represents the most severe and potentially fatal phase of the illness. During this time, lasting three to nine days, degeneration of the internal organs (specifically the kidneys, liver, and heart) occurs. This fatty degeneration results in what is considered the classic triad of yellow fever symptoms: jaundice, black vomit, and the dumping of protein into the urine. Jaundice causes the whites of the patient's eyes and the patient's skin to take on a distinctive yellow color. This is due to liver damage. The liver damage also results in a tendency toward bleeding; the patient's vomit appears black due to the presence of blood. Protein, which is normally kept out of the urine by healthy kidneys, appears in the urine due to disruption of the kidney's functioning.

Patients who survive "intoxication" enter into a relatively short period of convalescence. They recover with no long term effects related to the yellow fever infection. Infection with the yellow fever virus results in lifelong immunity against repeated infection with the virus.

The course of yellow fever is complicated in some patients by secondary bacterial infections. Even under the best of conditions there are no antiviral treatments for Yellow Fever. The only treatments for yellow fever are given to relieve its symptoms. Fever and pain should be relieved with acetaminophen, not aspirin or ibuprofen, both of which could increase the already-present risk of bleeding. Dehydration (due to fluid loss both from fever and bleeding) needs to be avoided. The risk of bleeding into the stomach can be decreased through the administration of antacids and other medications. Hemorrhage may require blood transfusions. Kidney failure may require dialysis (a process that allows the work of the kidneys in clearing the blood of potentially toxic substances to be taken over by a machine, outside of the body). With no modern medical interventions though, blood transfusions and kidney dialysis are impossible for cases that extreme.

Under the best conditions, five to ten percent of all diagnosed cases of yellow fever are fatal. Once jaundice occurs, a patient's chances for recovery drops to only fifty percent. A very safe and very effective yellow fever vaccine exists, but is currently in limited supply due to pandemic economics. The Arilvax vaccine is made from a live attenuated form of the yellow fever virus, strain 17D. Yellow Fever Vaccination Centers, authorized by the U.S. Public Health Service, have been set up through out – and in – areas that are seeing active cases of Yellow Fever. About 95% of vaccine recipients acquire long-term immunity to the yellow fever virus.

Broadsides are being printed and handed out telling people how to protect their area from a Yellow Fever outbreak. Now, in addition to warnings on how to prevent pandemic flu, there are public service announcements on the prevention of other infections. It isn't just Yellow Fever making a come back; its cholera, typhoid, measles, TB, chicken pox, and many other diseases that had nearly been eradicated in the US.

It isn't just the southern states that are suffering. Other areas of the country, as well as Canada and Mexico, are facing the rise of other infectious diseases. According to news bulletins, Los Angeles is still under quarantine for Cholera.

Cholera is a severe diarrheal disease caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. Transmission occurs by ingesting contaminated water or food. It is extremely deadly.

In its most severe forms, cholera is one of the most rapidly fatal illnesses known: A healthy person may become hypotensive within an hour of the onset of symptoms and may die within 2-3 hours if no treatment is provided. More commonly, the disease progresses from the first liquid stool to shock in 4-12 hours, with death following in 18 hours to several days without treatment.

Symptoms include general GI tract (stomach) upset and massive watery diarrhea. Symptoms may also include terrible muscle and stomach cramps, vomiting and fever in early stages. In a later stage the diarrhea becomes "rice water stool" (almost clear with flecks of white) and ruptured capillaries may turn the skin black and blue with sunken eyes and cheeks with blue lips. Symptoms are caused by massive body fluid loss. The body is "tricked" by nuerotoxins produced by the bacteria into releasing massive amounts of fluid into the small intestine; up to 20% of body weight. Radical dehydration can bring death within a day through collapse of the circulatory system.

In general, patients must receive as much fluid as they lose due to diarrhea. Treatment typically consists of aggressive rehydration (restoring the lost body fluids) and replacement of electrolytes with commercial or hand-mixed ORS solutions or massive injections of liquid given intravenously via an IV in advanced cases. But again, with the health care industry in collapse, there are few if any IV resources. Without treatment the death rate easily reaches 50%.

Although cholera can be life threatening, it is always easily prevented if proper sanitation practices are followed. In most of North America and Western Europe, because of advanced water treatment and sanitation systems, cholera was no longer a major threat. The last major outbreak of cholera in the United States was in 1911. Good sanitation practices, if instituted in time, is usually sufficient to stop an epidemic. There are several points along the transmission path at which the spread may be halted:

Sickbed: Proper disposal and treatment of the germ infected fecal waste (and all clothing and bedding that come in contact with it) produced by cholera victims is of primary importance.

Sewage: Treatment of general sewage before it enters the waterways or underground water supplies prevent possible undetected patients from spreading the disease.

Sources: Warnings about cholera contamination posted around contaminated water sources with directions on how to decontaminate the water.

Sterilization: Boiling, filtering, and chlorination of water kill the bacteria produced by cholera patients and prevent infections, when they do occur, from spreading. All materials (clothing, bedding, etc.) that come in contact with cholera patients should be sterilized in hot water using (if possible) chlorine bleach. Hands, etc. that touch cholera patients or their clothing etc. should be thoroughly cleaned and sterilized. All water used for drinking, washing or cooking should be sterilized by boiling or chlorination in any area where cholera may be present. Water filtration, chlorination and boiling are by far the most effective means of halting transmission. Cloth filters, though very basic, have greatly reduced the occurrence of cholera when used in poor villages for untreated surface water.

The source of the contamination is typically other cholera patients when their untreated diarrhea discharge is allowed to get into waterways or into groundwater or the drinking water supply. Any infected water and any foods washed in the water, and shellfish living in the affected waterway can cause an infection.

Rich or poor, it doesn't matter. It is cleanliness that is most important. In the past many famous people have succumbed to cholera: Tchaikovsky, James K. Polk (former president of the USA), the son of American poet Robert Frost, Daniel Morgan Boone (son of pioneer Daniel Boone), both the father and son of the author Mary Shelley, and many others.

Los Angeles, California is situated in a Mediterranean climate zone, experiencing mild, somewhat wet winters and warm to hot summers. It only gets an average of 15 inches of rain per year so the city relies very heavily on local ground water and imported water sources, such as those from the Sacramento River.

It appears, from what investigators have been able to determine that local ground water supplies became compromised with the cholera bacteria. The first few cases were noted in the Hollywood District. Infected fecal matter then made its way into the storm drainage system and spread from there into other local water sources causing additional infections. Over 13,000 deaths have been directly attributed to cholera in the city. Federal agents have cordoned off the area and no one is allowed in or out; of course people do manage to escape.

Several smaller cholera outbreaks are being reported spreading outward into Santa Monica, Glendale, Pasadena, and Long Beach. Local governments are trying to enforce a boil-water order in effect for a two hundred mile radius around the city. On the opposite side of the Continental US Buffalo, New York is also reporting an outbreak of what appears to be cholera. Every hour on the hour in cities across the country people are reminded over and over again through public service announcements and billboards how important basic hygiene is in the prevention of contagious diseases.

Yellow Fever, Cholera, Small Pox, Chicken Pox, Measles, Polio, Tuberculosis are all making inroads into neighborhoods and cities across the country. And now Typhoid Fever are appearing.

Typhoid Fever is an acute illness associated with fever caused by the Salmonellae Typhi bacteria. The bacteria is deposited in water or food by a human carrier, and is then spread to other people in the area. The incidence of the illness in the United States has markedly decreased since the early 1900's after improved sanitation practices become commonplace. Mexico and South America were the most common areas for U.S. citizens to contract typhoid fever. India, Pakistan and Egypt were also high-risk areas for developing this disease.

Patients with acute cases of typhoid can contaminate the surrounding water supply through the stool, which contains a high concentration of the bacteria. Contamination of the water supply can, in turn, taint the food supply. About 3-5% of patients become carriers of the bacteria after the illness. Some patients suffer a very mild illness that goes unrecognized. These patients can become long- term carriers of the bacteria. The bacteria multiplies in the gallbladder, bile ducts, or liver and passes into the bowel. The bacteria can survive for weeks in water or dried sewage. These chronic carriers may have no symptoms and can be the source of new outbreaks of typhoid fever for many years.

The incubation period is usually 1-2 weeks and the duration of the illness is about 4-6 weeks. The patient experiences: poor appetite, headaches, generalized aches and pains, fever, and lethargy. Persons with typhoid fever usually have a chronic fever as high as 103 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit (39 to 40 degrees Centigrade). Chest congestion develops in many patients and abdominal pain and discomfort are common. Improvement occurs in the third and fourth week in those without complications. About 10% of patients have recurrent symptoms (relapse) after feeling better for one to two weeks. Relapses are actually more common in individuals treated with antibiotics.

Typhoid Fever is treated with antibiotics. Prior to the use of antibiotics, the fatality rate was 10%. Death occurs from overwhelming infection, pneumonia, intestinal bleeding, or intestinal perforation. With antibiotics and supportive care, mortality can be reduced to 1-2%. The carrier state, which occurs in 3-5% of those infected, can be treated with prolonged antibiotics. Often, removal of the gallbladder, the site of chronic infection, will cure the carrier state.

Again, the problem with the pandemic economy is that antibiotics are in short supply. Many drug makers are totally focused on developing and manufacturing a pandemic flu vaccine. With so much of their energy focused in that one direction, antibiotic manufacturing has fallen dangerously low. This is exacerbated by the use of antibiotics to treat secondary infections in panflu cases. In 1897 an effective vaccine was developed for typhoid. Unfortunately the vaccine, like many others, is in short supply.

Like cholera, many famous people in history have died of typhoid: Pericles, Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria, Margaret Breckenridge (highest-ranking Army nurse under Ulysses S. Grant), Benjamin Harrison's wife Caroline, Robert E. Lee's daughter Annie, Herbert Hoover's father and mother, William McKinley's daughter Katherine, Wilbur Wright (one of the famous Wright Brothers), William T. Sherman's father and oldest son, Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (British prince consort and Queen Victoria's husband), William Wallace Lincoln (third son of President Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln), Louis Pasteur's daughters Cecile and Jeanne, President John Adams's wife Abigail Adams, Charles Darwin's daughter Annie, and Belle Boyd the most famous female confederate spy.

Chicago is facing a typhoid epidemic. To date there have been 2,000 deaths due to typhoid fever. No one is sure if a particular carrier is involved or whether it is a matter of simple hygiene. The only good thing in this situation is that Chicago's population was greatly reduced by the fire that razed half of the city ealier in the pandemic year. Survivors, those willing, were relocated to other population centers as quickly as possible. Typhoid is yet another disease that is preventable if good hygiene habits and conditions are maintained within communities and within homes.


	45. Chapter 44

_**Chapter 44**_

October is here and the weather is finally cooling off. The humidity is going down, helped along by the fact that the average rainfall for the month has fallen sharply from an average of six inches last month to two inches for this month. What this means for Sissy is that it is time to clean the house in and out. As clean as she tries to keep things – has to be for things to stay sanitary and infection free – the lack of air conditioning and other issues associated with lack of electricity has made it very difficult to keep the house as clean and fresh as in prepandemic times. Where most people do their big, yearly cleaning tasks in the spring, many people in Florida do theirs in the Autumn or early Winter.

Sissy discovers a problem this time around. As Sissy plans her strategy with regard to adding all the extra cleaning into their already busy chore list, she realizes just how low her soap and cleaning supplies have become. She knew this day would come, but it is still hard to get to this point in her supplies. It really shows how long they have been trying to piece things out and make things work without all the conveniences that they used to have at their disposal.

Sissy has heard people are advertising on the local bulletin boards that they are making soap and are willing to barter. On Scott's next run she is going to ask him to try and get some. Mr. Jones had also put about that some of the older ladies plan to give soap making a try, but she can't wait. She needs to get some cleaning done now while she has a block of time to work with. Sissy pulls out her book of recipes that she started making when she first began prepping, turns to the cleaning section, and looks to see what she can make to replace what she is short of.

First, for a spray cleaner, she decides to use a white vinegar solution. Vinegar is multipurpose and lasts years in unopened gallon jugs. Sissy bought cases of the stuff prepandemic and has also replaced some that she has used when they had the grocery store vouchers Scott earned for that remodeling job. To use vinegar as a spray cleaner she mixes it one part to one part water. For tougher jobs, like mineral build up around the faucets and in the toilets, she uses the vinegar straight. Smells somewhat, but not too bad after things air out.

To replace the abrasive cleaners like Comet and Ajax, she makes a soft scrub cleaner using baking soda. Baking soda is a great deodorizer for the drains too. Another cheap prep item she still has cases of.

The windows of the house get a good cleaning using a rubbing alcohol and vinegar solution. Rubbing alcohol is getting in shorter supply so is isn't wasteful. She takes one cup of rubbing alcohol and one cup of water. To this she adds one tablespoon of vinegar. She has the girls spritz it on the windows and then wipe it off with a soft, lint-free cloth. Paper towels are now a luxury. Sissy still has about three dozen rolls stashed away inside a box spring in one of the bedrooms, but she is saving them for as long as possible.

Sissy still has plenty of commercial furniture polish and wood soap. First, she and the girls dilute down the wood soap and clean all of the furniture surfaces. Then after the furniture has completely dried, they polish the pieces with lemon oil. That helps to drive the musty smells from the house even more.

There are some really grimy areas of the house that need some tougher cleaning. Even with daily sweeping and mopping, the tile floors through out their entire house need a good scrubbing. For this Sissy uses a solution of diluted, non-sudsing ammonia. Sissy is glad that she still has rubber gloves that are useable because she has to scrub the floor by hand in several areas. Bringing the garden containers in and out every day really does a number on the floor, the grout is completely gone in some places, but the security of their food supply easily trumps the extra housework.

The bedrooms, which are the only carpeted areas in the house, have the walls washed and the mattresses sprinkled with baking soda and then brushed. They then rinse the plastic mattress protectors as best they can and hang them outside. After these are thoroughly dry, they are put back on the mattresses. The mattresses are still in very good shape because of these protectors and Sissy is glad that she had invested in the good, heavy grade plastic ones. The few places that the plastic has begun to tear are quickly repaired with water proof tape. The pillows are taken care of in the same way, as they too have plastic protectors on them.

As for the carpets themselves, Sissy had purchased a couple of non-electric floor sweepers prior to the pandemic. These are good for surface dirt and dust, but are pretty hopeless for embedded dirt and sand. Their vacuum cleaner died several months ago. Scott tried to fix it, but it was hopeless. Scott's shop vac still works and Sissy decides that unless an emergency arises to prevent it, the next time the power comes on, they will spend the day vacuuming all the carpets over and over until they get out as much sand as possible. They may even pull up the carpet and re-stretch it. Sissy thinks, "if you're gonna clean, you might as well clean right."

They did have three large area rugs to deal with. These are rolled up, taken outside, and beat to get as much ground in sand out of them as possible. They have a couple of bad spots that they clean by making a paste of baking soda, rubbing it onto the spot, allowing it to dry and then brushing it off. It isn't a perfect fix, but it is better than it was. Their rag rugs from the kitchen and utility area are washed pretty regularly with the clothes so nothing major needs to be done with them.

All of the bed and bath linens in the house are given a close inspection. A bunch are set aside into the mending basket. Between socks, underclothes, and linen that basket is always full. Luckily Sarah seems to really enjoy sewing and she is getting pretty good at it. For a middle schooler, that is an amazing skill to have. Out of necessity, all of the kids are getting handy with a needle. Sissy just hopes that her needles and thread last for as long as she needs them to. A good sewing needle is a pricey barter item.

The pots and pans also need additional scrubbing. She does this using baking soda and elbow grease. Thank goodness for cast iron cookware though. Her non-stick pots and pans, though convenient, are terrible for cooking on the grill and out of doors. When the family is lucky enough to have the electricity on, they use the non-stick cookware, but they haven't been very lucky in that way lately. The cast iron stuff is seeing a lot of use as are the big aluminum pots that she boils water in. She has a couple of dark speckleware pots she uses in the solar oven.

The oven is a horrible mess, there is no way around it. It is one of the tougher cleaning jobs. Sissy had not gotten around to stocking oven cleaner when the pandemic hit. It was just one of those things that she forgot about. But, the oven can no longer go without cleaning or it is going to become a fire hazard. She tries something that she read in some frugality magazine. She puts a half-cup of full strength ammonia into a glass bowl. Then she sits the bowl inside the oven and closes the door. She allows this sit overnight. In the morning she is able to wipe away most of the grimy build up. For the few places that are still gunky, she makes a paste of baking soda and scrubs those areas with a worn out toothbrush. Again, not quite as squeaky clean as she remembers the commercial products cleaning, but then again she has let it go a long time. A second overnight with ammonia might work, but it will have to wait as she still has a lot of other stuff to do.

In the bathrooms, mildew is getting to be a real problem. You wipe at mildew and scrub it, but because it gets imbedded into surfaces, it is very difficult to get rid of permanently. And with no air conditioning to keep the airflow going in the interior bathroom, the shower stall is getting particularly bad. Sissy still has a small supply of chlorine bleach. It is running out its power to be a water sanitizer so she decides to use a small amount on the mildew and on the cutting surfaces in the kitchen. She takes three-quarters of a cup of bleach and mixes it in with a gallon of water. Sissy asks James to use the same solution on a couple of places outside where the algae is making for slick walking surfaces. But, she is very, very careful to not use any bleach product around any other type of cleaning product, especially when she is using ammonia. Mixing bleach with other things can create a poisonous gas capable of suffocating living creatures, including humans.

October isn't just the month of cleaning. Sissy is kept busy taking care of everything being harvested from the garden. After seeing their garden compromised by the hurricane and hot weather, having all of the fresh produce to eat was a real treat. This month they harvest jicamas, broccoli, broccoli raab, okra, more mesclun greens and arugula, mustard greens, yellow crookneck squash, scallop squash, cucumbers, and a funny little roly poly zucchini that looks like green eggs whose seeds came from a child's gardening kit. The first of the heirloom seedlings start to produce as well. There is a weird radish that looks like a white carrot and another radish that is a Chinese heirloom that is white on the outside but watermelon pink on the inside. Both are really strange looking, but that doesn't stop them from being good eating.

Best of all, some of the heirloom tomatoes have also started to make. There is the Red Tumbler cherry tomato, the Sun Gold cherry tomato, an orange colored tomato called Tangerine, and there is also a Golden Sauce yellow plum tomato. And boy, are they producing. A couple of times per day though, Sissy has to go outside and check for hornworms. With many of the bird populations decimated from avian influenza, the insect population is exploding. The bat houses that James and Sarah built months ago have a lively colony roosting in them and bats in the neighborhood are helping with some mosquito control. Tom Cox and his sons have a gppd trade business going building bat houses. The work is proving a therapeutic outlet for his son with anxiety issues.

With a good population of snakes around, the rodent population is also under control. In those places without these natural predators, pests run amuck. In Sissy's case, her secret weapon is the peahens that live in the orange grove. The male peacocks are still arrogant and standoffish, but the peahens come when she calls. Sissy pulls off the hornworms from tomato plants and tosses them to the birds and they gobble them right down. Its as good as having geese patrolling things. They are just as noisy too. She is still careful to avoid any potential contamination, but so far no one on the web has reported infections in peacocks or peahens, apparently not all varieties of any one species of birds are susceptible to the current avian influenza.

This month Sissy also plants rows of beets, burdock, carrots, onions, parsnips, salsify, shallots, and turnips. For greens she plants broccoli, cabbage, celtuce, collards, leeks, lettuce, mustard greens and spinach. She plants English peas and more strawberry baskets just because she has the room. She figures they may eventually have enough extra food for trading.

Towards the end of October, Sissy's brother shows up again. This time he has their father with him. Sissy is stunned and the whole family shares an ecstactic reunion.

"I sure do wish your Momma could be here but I can't risk her getting sick. Let's step inside. I need to talk to Scott. We've got a proposition he'll be interested in."

Sissy's brother has come up with a scheme that will likely only work a couple of times because of shipping limitations. But, if they can get three drivers to drive straight through with no breaks, avoiding the problems with driving too many hours for each driver, they can actually get between check points they have to cover in less than 24 hours. Their destination is the Kentucky and Tennessee area where they are desperate to trade some of their homegrown supplies for some sugar from south Florida. The brother has a load of sugar on board. Sissy's father is going to be the second driver and they want Scott to be the third driver. Scott has his trucker's license and it is still up to date. They will make the run, see family, pick up what they can in trade and be back in under a week making a hefty profit even after it gets split three ways.

This makes Sissy's heart sink. It is hard enough to watch Scott drive off into potential danger when he leaves to manage the properties every week, but have him driving several states away? And to have to make the decision so quickly? But there really is no decision to make. It is too good an opportunity to pass up. They'd get cash to split for some of the load, but they would also get trade goods that might not be available around home.

So it is quickly planned out. Sissy throws together a good supply of food, mostly fresh that they can eat on the go, refills their water reserves, and off they go. She and the kids cannot stop watching as the truck drives away. They stand there for a while longer after it is finally out of sight and then Sissy shakes herself and gets everyone back into the house.

"When daddy be back?" little Johnnie asks.

"They said they would be back in a week more or less," Sissy replies.

James hesitantly starts out, "Dad said that Tom and Barry would be around if we needed anything but . . . I don't want them coming in the house.' More forcefully he adds, "Dad said I was supposed to make sure everything gets locked down at night and keep you all safe."

"I know sugar." Sissy replies carefully to acknowledge his growing need to prove his maturity. "I wouldn't go to Barry or Tom unless it was an emergency we couldn't handle anyway. We'll do for ourselves. Dad was just trying to cover all the bases. He asked us, me in particular, to push really hard to keep our disinfection protocols priority."

"We'll stay safe, won't we guys? And we will help mom lots and lots and before you know it, dad will be back and maybe he'll bring everyone a surprise," says Rose to the youngest children.

"I miss Daddy!" cry Sarah and Bekah in near unison.

"I know sweethearts. But Daddy felt that this was a really good chance to make up for the money he can't make around here right now. As a matter of fact, it is a chance that is too good to pass up, no matter how we feel personally. The pandemic won't be around forever and we have to be ready for when the rules go back to the way they used to be. This is going to require cash, which is something too few people have too little of right now."

"Like what kind of rules? I don't understand." asks Bekah.

"Like paying all the insurance premiums, mortgages, and taxes that they stopped to let everyone try and prepare. They are already talking about doing it now even though there are still areas that have a lot of panflu in the community. Daddy just wants to be able to take care of things the way he used to."

And that is true. The pandemic has lasted longer than anyone had anticipated. And the economic impact has been bigger as well. A lot of people have lost everything, financially speaking. Not even Bill Gates' Foundation has been unscathed by panflu economics. Not even Bill Gates himself has gone unscathed. He and his wife were caught on some kind of European tour when the air traffic quit running and are rumored to have died over in Eastern Europe. A lot of people that ran the large corporations have been affected directly by infection, or their families have. No one with any amount of money has gotten away scott-free. Even the mega-rich members of the entertainment industry – those with no permanent homes who lived off of fast food and restaurant fare – have found out that their potential worth of yesterday means nothing to their current value. Many died when they were abandoned by their personal entourages of managers, personal assistants, and body guards.

Sissy herself, ever practical, realizes how important it is while Scott is away for her family to stay grounded and active. The garden producing well and keeps them busy. But with the good comes the bad. The white flour is almost all gone. Sissy still has some baking mix so they aren't totally without light bread, but fairly soon all that there will be left is cornmeal and tortilla flour and not much of that either. Even the acorn flour she made back in August and September is gone. Sissy has been using bread as a way to put some calories into their work laden diets. Bread is also a way to make the other food seem like it is going further. She doesn't know quite what she will do when it all runs out. She knows other people in the neighborhood are either paying the high prices at the grocery or going without. She wishes there were a third option, but isn't aware of what it could be at the moment. She got an email from her aunt last month saying how the local mill is as busy as it ever was prepandemic. "Must be nice," she thinks, though she tries not to be envious, that gets her no place fast. There are enough other issues that need her time and thought.

The holidays are again looming on the horizon. Bekah and Johnnie are growing out of all their clothes and shoes. They still haven't heard from their insurance companies regarding any of their claims, not even on their policies that are held by Citizens which is run by the state of Florida. Other items in her food storage are beginning to run short. Scott's work van really needs an oil change but they can't find any to trade for. And she can't support the family's needs out of their yard forever. The compost can't keep up with all of the soil depletion though she is doing her best.

There are just so many things to worry about and now she has no one she can talk to them about. Scott just left, and she is feeling left behind. She can't take the chance and go out much because what if she gets sick? Who could the kids turn to? About 5 miles from here there is an active outbreak of panflu. She can't count on any kind of immunity. And what if Scott, or her father or brother, get ill while they are away and on the road? What if Scott brings it home without realizing it until it is too late? What if he doesn't come home at all?

"OK . . . I've got to stop this," Sissy abruptly says to herself. Scott's leaving has freaked her out more than she thought it would. "It is time to get busy and work off some of this anxiety and paranoia." She is shaky enough that Rose and James probably see it. She needs to stay in control or they might all start falling apart emotionally.

"How would you guys like to surprise Daddy? Think we can complete the whole chore list before he gets back?" Sissy asks the kids.

With the indoor cleaning pretty well under control, it is time to move on to the outside of the house. Sissy looks and thinks, "The yard never was a showcase, but good gravy it looks very reggledy-taggledy now."

The front yard doesn't look all that much different except that a lot of the normal landscaping plants have been replaced with edible items. Celtuce, burdock, salsify, horseradish and many other unusual food plants were interplanted with herbs and some semi-tropical bushes like azaleas and hibiscus. There are also patches of edible flowers like bee balm, basil, borage, calendula, chamomile, and anything else they have seeds for. There are also the two grape fruit trees. The grass is scraggly and sand shows through in many places where it isn't covered with oak leaves and her attempts at planting edible ground covers. The wintergreen and houttuynia are only doing so so since it has been so hot. There isn't much they can do with the front yard for now except rake up the latest mess of leaves, a never-ending job. They have been cutting the grass with a scythe or swing blade to keep it from getting too long and they keep any fallen branches picked up and put into their woodpile as part of their normal chore schedule.

Now the backyard is a different story. During the day the backyard looks like you have stepped into a huge edible landscaping experiment. There are vines climbing the fences on all three sides of the yard. There are barrels, large and small, containers of all shapes and sizes, hanging baskets of every description in almost every available space. There are several old bathtubs serving as raised planting beds (currently holding several varieties of potatoes). Amidst all of this are hung flattened cans strung on fishing line and odd pieces of wire and twine to act both as burglar alarms and as metal scarecrows to keep marauding animals (and people) out. Then there is the in-ground pool with its faded blue cover where they store their non-potable water. There are bat houses on a couple of old antenna poles and under some of the eaves of the house to help those blessed little creatures who keep the mosquito population from taking over the world. The compost bins are homemade and in need of some reinforcing as they are beginning to lean. Lastly, but certainly not least, is their water catchment system. This includes a series of jury rigged pieces of metal flashing, gutter, and rain barrels with screening to keep out as much debris as possible.

At night the family brings in all of their movable containers. People still have their gardens raided pretty regularly by both human and animal predators and with seven mouths to feed, Scott and Sissy just barely make do. The yard will never make the cover of House Beautiful but it helps to keep them fed.

The one major outside task that Sissy feels must get done is to expand their compost pile system. She wants to add another bin. They have two, but she would like to have at least one more. They have an old wooden pallet that they are going to dismantle and use for this purpose. Scott said not to ask where he got it from, so she figured there was a story there she might not want to hear.

One of their problems is that, even after just one year of intensive gardening, Sissy can tell that the sandy soil is getting tired out. Even if the pandemic comes to a halt tomorrow the economic infrastructure is going to take some time to repair; perhaps many years. She figures she will be feeding her family out of the garden for some time yet. But without replacing the soil nutrients and some decent plant fertilizer she doesn't know how she is going to accomplish it.

Sissy really envies the ground her extended family has in Kentucky and Tennessee. That is real dirt. Sure, some of it Is clay, but by and large there Is some nice black dirt for them to grow things in. The sand here in Florida lets both water and nutrients slip right through with barely a by-your-leave. There is hardly any organic material in it. She is doing well to get the compost into the ground to build up the soil, but still, the intensive growing she is doing is eating the nutrients up just about as fast as she can put them in. The days of being able to go to a store and pick up all the fertilizer and insecticides you need are gone for a while, maybe for a good long while. It is just one of many worries that Sissy is trying to come to grips with.

Another is that Rose really needs college books for next semester. She has done well this semester as Scott went out to the college and was able to purchase the books at a discounted price since they were so overstocked. But where is the money coming from next semester? Will her laptop hold out so she can keep doing the online work she needs to do? What happens if any of their home computers fail?

As homeschoolers Sissy's family has plenty of educational material for the four children that haven't entered college yet. To make up for the deficit in the educational options – many people are refusing to send their children to the public schools due to the danger of infection – she is also writing lessons for Barry's granddaughters and Tom's two sons. The kids aren't going to school together exactly, but they have formed a sort of neighborhood correspondence school. If the power is on, they keep in touch by computer on a bulletin board Sissy was able to set up especially for this purpose. If the power is off, they keep in touch by "Fairy Ferry," which is a play on a wildly popular children's book series where people kept in touch using owls. The kids write letters and the adults place them in a PVC tube that has been attached to a tree in their backyard. Even the older kids play along although the boys prefer something that is closer to a Star Wars theme than a bunch of fairies flitting about. They are even playing games by mail. So far they have figured out how to play chess, scrabble, checkers, and trivia games by mail. The kids are proving to be incredibly resilient if they are given the right tools to work with.

Three days after Scott leaves, Sissy has just about reached the end of her extra chore list and the end of her rope. She has way too much time to think about what could be going wrong with the men's venture, and it plagues her so much she can hardly sleep at night. For example, last night she sat up as long as the solar batteries lasted on the lantern and sliced pickles for pickling and prepared seven quarts of pasta sauce from the yellow plum tomatoes that came in. News reports that talked of a third major wave of pandemic infections beginning out in California making its way eastward did absolutely nothing for her peace of mind either. The reports are so ominous in tone that those few people who have returned their kids to a classroom setting are pulling them out left and right.

Sissy is pondering all of her worries as she pulls weeds in the front yard flowerbeds to throw into the compost pile. The sun is beaming down on her back when suddenly it is replaced by a looming shadow. She quickly turns around to find a half dozen women looking down at her.

"Uh, hi. What's up?" Sissy asks hesitantly as she stands.

"You homeschool all your kids."

"Yeah," Sissy replies cautiously.

"And you've been sharing some of your school stuff with a couple of families in the neighborhood."

"Well, just Barry's grandkids and Tom Cox's kids. Why?"

"We need them too."

"You need what too? Uh, I mean, what is the 'them' you need? I mean … oh heck, what are y'all talking about?" Sissy says as she gives up on grammatical correctness.

"You've heard that another wave of panflu might be coming this way."

"Well, it never really went away," Sissy replies. "A few blocks over those people, the ones that were bringing in the fish to sell, came down with it. So, another wave is bad, but . . . "

"Yeah. OK. Whatever. But our kids need to be in school. Some of us are going crazy with the kids just sitting around gloomily all day or getting into mischief left and right. But, they can't be 'in' school right now. It's never been a problem for you. And now you've fixed it for other people. We want that. We want someone to give us something to work with for our kids."

"You can. Homeschooling isn't against the law. Just send in your letter of intent to the county."

"But what else do we need to do? We don't know anything about teaching."

Sissy comes back with, "Did you teach your kids to walk? Did you help them learn to talk? Did you potty train them? Did you help them to learn to dress themselves? What about their numbers and colors? Did you help them with their homework once they started school? If you did any of that, then you have already been teaching and training your kids. You don't need to learn to teach. You already know how."

"What about lessons? You've already done this for every grade there is from preschool through highschool. Word has it you have even started helping one of your kids with college level work. We need that. You have something we need and we are willing to trade for it. What would you take for teaching our kids."

"Whoa. There aren't enough hours in the day for me to get done what I need to get done now. If you are asking me to share my lesson plans with you, no problem; but, if you are asking me to do the actual teaching, I just can't."

"But we need . . . "

"Wait, let me explain. To qualify as a homeschool child in the state of Florida, you as the parent need to be responsible for the teaching and training of your child. I can't be your child's teacher. Now, I can do some tutoring in the form of giving you lesson ideas, but you as the parent need to implement them. That is the way the laws are written here in Florida."

"Oh. Look. I know we are coming off pushy, but we are scared. We don't want to run the risk of losing our kids. But some of them are driving us Gawd all mighty crazy! But we also don't want them to fall behind or turn out ignorant. We don't have the money to put them in a private school and we don't have the electricity to keep up with any of the virtual school programs. We've got to do something and like we said, we are willing to trade for it."

After a brief prayer that she isn't getting herself in over her head, Sissy asks, "When do you want to start?"

"As soon as possible."

"How many kids and in how many different grades are we talking about?"

"Well, we are not the only families. We only represent the families that need some kind of educational option for their kids. If you total us all up there are about twenty families on this street, or right off this street, with about 55 or 60 kids between us. Maybe more because some people have inherited kids from other family members, but say no more than 75 total. And we've got at least a couple in every grade from pre K to 12th grade."

"Good gravy. I had no idea there were that many kids in the neighborhood. Do you know if everyone has a dictionary? Even better, have everyone make a list of all the books they have in the house. I need to know what kind of resources everyone has. If we can get this done in the next couple of days we'll try and start next Monday."

"So you'll do it? You'll teach our kids?"

"No but I'll help you to teach your kids. One thing up front though, you are going to have to be realistic. I'm one person. I have my own way of doing things and they might not work – probably will not work – for every family or every kid. I'll give you ideas and I'll try and facilitate some ways that you can apply it in your own homes, but you will do the teaching. For older kids its fairly easy. By the time they get to a certain age, all you can do is facilitate their learning, provide resources for them to work from, encourage them. The little ones require more one-on-one work especially as you are teaching them to read. If what I'm offering doesn't work then I can offer suggestions, but I'm not the school system. I can't individualize every lesson for every child. And I can't make your kids learn if they don't want to. The discipline, grading, and record keeping will be up to each household."

"OK. So what do you want to do this? We haven't talked price."

"Um. Look. I'm not looking to make a killing off of this. In fact, I'm not real inclined to get paid at all because this is more of an experiment than anything else right now. A 'payment' would obligate me and I'm not there in my thinking yet. I'll do this because it sounds interesting and I know some of your kids. I don't want to get bullied and it felt like that was what was happening there for a while. Let's just leave it as a friendly gesture on my part for a while, that way if any of us becomes uncomfortable or find its not working, we can pull out without a big fuss. OK?"

"Hey, sounds good to me. I was afraid you were going to ask cash to do this," one woman says.

"Yeah I was too and my husband just lost his job . . . again," another woman chimes in.

"Isn't your husband the one that used to work down at the boatyard?" Sissy asks.

"Yeah, he's been trying to pick up work here and there, but he hasn't found anything steady in almost a year."

"That's a tough thing to be going through," Sissy says as she files the name for later because she knows that Scott is looking to add another two men to their crew so that they can split work between two teams.

As the women leave Sissy wonders what she has gotten herself into. She also wonders what Scott is going to say about this. As she heads to the disinfection station to clean up, she realizes this isn't just more work for her, but it means more work for Scott. Since she's not allowed to risk exposure – and boy is she glad she remembered to wear a mask and gloves – Scott is going to have to act as the delivery person.

"The logistics of this little project are starting to get complicated," mulls Sissy. "I wish Scott was here to talk them over with."


	46. Chapter 45

_**Chapter 45**_

It isn't long before the women come back with the list of the children's names, grades, and the resources in their homes. Sissy sets to work trying to work out a lesson plan. Of the families that want to be part of the neighborhood correspondence school, there are 6 kindergartners, 7 first graders, 4 second graders, 2 third graders, 5 fourth graders, 1 fifth grader, 7 sixth graders, 5 seventh graders, 10 eighth graders, 9 ninth graders, 4 tenth graders, 3 eleventh graders, and 3 twelfth graders. This makes a total of sixty-seven kids in nineteen households. She is going to have the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth graders tell her what they want to study. She will let this be her guide to facilitate their lessons. The ninth graders she will assign mostly entry level highschool work and let them pick some electives for their own self-directed study that they can keep a journal on. The middle schoolers will all share science, history, geography, and literature lessons; she will have separate language arts and math lessons for each grade. She will assign the elementary students the same lessons but with level appropriate requirements. Good thing she kept all of her lesson plan books from over the years.

Science, history, and literature are easy; there will be lots of hands-on, grade appropriate projects. They will all also keep a nature and observation journal similar to the concept that can be found in the Charlotte Mason approach to education. For part of language arts, she will suggest that each student keep a daily journal. Sometimes she will give them writing prompts for topics, at other times they can chose their own. With luck this will also help the kids express their concerns and fears as they live during a pandemic rather than keeping them bottled up to deal with later. Math is going to be a challenge for some of the parents to teach, but Sissy has enough step-by-step instruction manuals that if applied with a little patience, everyone should be learning enough without too much frustration. Luckily, most families have copies of some of the classics. For the first few weeks, she is going to do a unit study on The Swiss Family Robinson or Robinson Crusoe. Every grade will participate and she will be able to tie in some projects quite easily.

In fact, Sissy has too many ideas. She hasn't figured out how she is going to get every one's assignments out to them. They still have a good supply of printer toner for now as she and Scott had really stocked up for the business. They have about six cases of paper that Scott had taken in trade from one of his jobs. Sissy figures that maybe they will continue with the idea of a correspondence school and she can set up a series of mailboxes over at the neighborhood market lot. To save time and paper, she will send out an entire week's worth of lessons at a time. It will be up to the parents to collect the lessons and implement them in their own home. At the end of the week she will ask for feedback from parents and kids and see how things are working out. Heck, she figures she can't do worse than the kids not getting any instructional education at all, and she can at least make an attempt to keep things fun and interesting.

Setting this up has certainly given her something to keep her mind off counting the minutes until Scott returns home. He is due back any day and this is the longest they have ever been separated without at least talking to each other on the phone in 25 years of being together. It certainly has been emotionally challenging. It gives her a glimpse at what things would be like if one day he never came home.

Early the next morning as Sissy is taking some of the last of the containers back out into the backyard there is the sound of air breaks and the whooshing of a large truck pulling into their driveway. She runs around front and straight into Scott's arms. All the kids heard the truck roll up and quickly come out to see their dad. Sissy also greets her brother and father.

"We gotta get this stuff unloaded so dad and I can get back on the road," her brother hastily breaks in as he begins unlocking the rear doors of the truck.

"You can't stay at least to eat?" Sissy pleads.

"Sorry honey, but no. Your brother and I are going to haul this stuff down to Sarasota and then try and make it home before dark so that we don't have to park and wait out the curfew. I'm missing your Momma real bad and need to get home to her," her dad puts in. "But if you've got anything we can eat on the go, I won't turn you down."

Sissy sends the girls into the house to throw together a bag of food to go while she helps bring in bags and boxes of stuff. They've backed the rig all the way to the porch overhang, but its still work to get up in the trailer, get the stuff down the ramp, and then walk it into the house and find a place to set it down amidst all the other mess in the house. She is curious but keeps it at bay until her brother and dad pull away.

"What on earth is in all these bags? And are these figs and persimmons in these crates?" Sissy asks.

"Yep. Do I get a kiss?"

"You'll get more than a kiss when the kids go to bed. Lordy, I've missed you. Don't go away like that again," she implores.

"Well, as to that . . . "

"Oh no. When do you leave?" Sissy asks, crestfallen.

"Your brother is going to try and get back as soon as he does a couple of loads he has already contracted to do. Maybe about a week." Scott replies. To Sissy's disgust he is obviously excited about taking off again.

"You going to Tennessee again?"

"No, just up to north Florida."

"What for?"

"There is a man up there that has promised to trade us a couple of head of beef, and some wild game, for some sugar. He is someone your dad met at the truck stop before we crossed the state line."

"But there is another wave of infections coming this way! Haven't you all heard?"

"Yeah. That's one of the reasons we are trying to get this done quick. Look, I've got to run over to Barry and Tom and see how things have gone. Then I need to go out and make a run. I know its late to start, but I just feel the need to keep going as quick as possible."

"You just got in!" she says upset. "OK, we'll talk tonight. Please try and not be out too long."

"No longer than I have to be. Dig around in this stuff and see what you think."

And with that Scott is out the door again and running. "That's what she gets for marrying a Type A," she grouses to herself.

Sissy goes over to start "digging around" as Scott suggested. She nearly swallows her teeth a few minutes later as she tries to take it all in. "And he left before I could give him a good solid kiss. Just wait until that man gets home," Sissy thinks to herself as she gazes in stupefaction at everything.

She calls to the kids for some help and begins to unpack a veritable gold mine. The burlap bags hold about a hundred pounds of pecans. She thought they were golf balls originally. She immediately makes plans to repackage them into some smaller containers. There are some smaller bags of almonds and walnuts in there too. And a bag of what looks like hickory nuts, but she isn't sure as they aren't labeled. If they are, it will be a Godsend because Tom told her how Native Americans used to make a shortening-like product from them called Hickory Milk.

There are crates of figs, persimmons, Muscadine grapes, and what had to be six bushels of Granny Smith apples. She lets the kids have one of those each and hopes they aren't so green that they get a bellyache. That's all they need on Scott's first day back.

Small plastic drums hold sorghum molasses of all things. But, most incredibly, there are several fifty-pound bags of flour and the same of cornmeal. The bags are all labeled as being from the Hopkinsville Milling Co. so she knows that they got as far as her extended family's area. She isn't sure whether they got as far north as Paducah though, she didn't had a chance to ask. She knows her dad would have tried to see his sister if he could have. There are also two fifty-pound bags of field corn. That will come in handy.

And, there look to be a couple of jugs of something that shouldn't have been there. What in the world they need moonshine for she doesn't know. If the men had been caught transporting that stuff across state lines there would have been hell to pay.

What a bounty! She is down to the dregs of her flour supply and here is more than she could have ever hoped for. If she plays things out right, this will last for months, definitely through the New Year anyway. "Oh, just wait until that man comes home," Sissy vows.


	47. Chapter 46

_**Chapter 46**_

When Scott gets home there is quite a celebration; both before and after the kids go to bed. The centerpiece of the family's dinner is a loaf of persimmon bread with pecans in it. Luckily the family's supply of powdered eggs is still quite healthy because Sissy really over stocked, or so she had thought at the time, on #10 cans of whole dried eggs, powdered egg whites, as well as powdered milk.

After dinner the family sits and talks about what Scott saw and heard while on the road away from home.

They started their trek by going straight north on Interstate 75 to Lake City, FL where they had to pull over for an initial inter-state travel checkpoint, followed by another one in Jennings, FL. There was no stopping and getting out of the semi cab at the checkpoints as it is strictly prohibited by the transportation authorities. The men weren't really interested in getting out of the cab, that section of the travel plans was plenty eerie.

There were a lot of military style vehicles on the road, some semi tractor trailers, but very few private vehicles. That is unless you counted the disabled and stripped down vehicle skeletons lining either side of the road.

This situation continued on up to Valdosta, GA and Sissy's brother said that this is true of most major roadways, particularly the US Interstate system. Some trucker buddies of his said that it was the same way up into Canada and just south into the border towns of Mexico.

At Valdosta they faced another inter-state travel checkpoint. Since they were coming into rather than leaving the state, this checkpoint took longer. The fact that they had a signed contract with a bonafide, well-known company really helped with the approval process. Without that contract, there would have been all sorts of declarations and inspections that would have eaten up the remainder the day until they were stuck because of curfew.

After being released to travel by the Valdosta officials, they took off towards Atlanta, but were directed to by-pass the city using the marked detours by a National Guard blockade. The entire city of Atlanta was quarantined due to a severe cholera outbreak following their last wave of panflu infections. The men picked I75 back up near Marietta, GA. Marietta itself looked like an armed encampment with exits blocked off by disabled vehicles that had been piled two and three high. There were signs all over the place warning that travelers who stopped were subject to confiscation of all goods and likely loss of their due process rights. There were also some places strung with barbed wire and accordion wire to keep people from going around the blocked exits. Truckers along the way had warned them that for sure you didn't want to try and push your luck. If a town said keep moving, don't stop here, then that is exactly what you better do. Some towns out there didn't fool around. They shot first and worried about justification later. They continued trucking through Calhoun and Dalton, GA and then into Chattanooga, TN where they had to stop for another border crossing.

In Chattanooga they had to pay a "toll" to get through. Bribe at gunpoint was a better description. Those that didn't pay often found that their paperwork was marked suspect and their loads were confiscated and drivers "taken into custody." Sissy's brother said it was better to just pay it for now, so they had to leave about 100 pounds of sugar behind. As soon as they could, they got out of there and didn't look back.

In Chattanooga they switched from I75 to I24. They ran into no trouble until they reached Murfreesboro where they needed to refuel. They spent two hours waiting in line before they were able to take their turn at the fuel pumps. As soon as they got to the head of the line, the pumps ran dry. Luckily they were only an hour more waiting for refill. Some truckers had mentioned waiting days in line for fuel.

Also at Murfreesboro they found they would have to bypass Nashville and Clarksville. Nashville was quarantined. Clarksville was under control of the US Army that was based at Ft. Campbell Army Base. They figured their papers might get them into Clarksville, but it was getting out that was the problem. They were carrying a valuable cargo. While they were waiting for fuel they re-routed their travel plans. First they would use secondary roads to cross over to I65 and then over to I40. They backtracked on I40 to a little town called Burns where they went north to a little town called Dover, where Ft. Donelson National Military Park is located. This was the area where Sissy's father was raised when he was a small boy and they still have connections living there.

Taking a chance they called ahead on the CB. They actually reached a cousin that was more than happy to let them park on their farm for the night to avoid problems with curfew. They were fed and in exchange left a bag of sugar that was much appreciated.

The next morning it was an easy jaunt into Christian County, KY where Hopkinsville Milling Company is located. It is also where many members of Sissy's extended family still live. One of these is another cousin that works at the mill and she is the one who arranged the contract for the trade of sugar for other goods.

The men spent three days in town waiting for the transaction to be finalized. During this time they were pretty much quarantined in a merchants' area which was basically a camp where truckers parked. They did have family come by with letters and news being exchanged, not all of it good. There had been losses in the family. Several family members had lost grandchildren. Sissy's cousin, who was paralyzed and suffered some lower immunity issues, became infected and his full recovery is in doubt because due to his physical challenges he is triaged from receiving professional medical care. His mother is a former LPN who worked at the State Hospital for many years. The aunt's neighbor, who lost her own son to the panflu, helped her get out of the house and go see her sister's husband and her nephews. Scott reported, "She leaked tears the entire visit. She lost one of her grandchildren and has nearly lost her son. She is tired and fragile, physically and emotionally."

Other relatives continued to come by their entire stay. There were some plans made to see if they could bring citrus fruit or strawberries when they ripen but the plans were fluid as everyone is well aware how quickly the situation could change.

As each family member came by to visit they were given a couple of sugar cones. Some sent packages and letters back with them. Eventually it was time to leave as their business travel visa was running out of time. They took the same route back but avoided Chattanooga, TN by taking back roads. This added an extra day to their trip but was worth not having to deal with the bribe process.

"I didn't do a lot of manual labor on the road, but that life sure is tiring," Scott says.

"How did everyone look?" asks Sissy.

"About like people here. Rode hard and hung up wet; some more so than others. Your aunt looks really bad. If your cousin doesn't fully recover it won't be because he isn't being given the best care your aunt can manage. Your Dad got permission on the last day there to go to her house and see him. He could hardly talk about it when he got back. It's bad."

Sissy is very somber for a while.

"We have been so lucky," she says quietly.

"Not luck, well at least not much. You got us going with prepping and then we teamed up to address our business concerns. We've had a game plan that's been flexible but solid and we've followed it. That's not luck, that's forethought and strategy. You've taken good care of us," he says hugging her.

While she feels some vindication at his words, she responds by saying, "We've taken care of each other. Its just hard hearing how bad its been out there. When you don't know people you can keep some objectivity and distance. When its family it brings it all home. Stories are just stories until you find out its happened to someone you love."

Scott and Sissy head off to bed, yet again faced with how relatively well off they've come out of a bad situation. Preparing has given them an edge that has turned out to be priceless. Sissy is just sorry that she couldn't have convinced more people to do it.


	48. Chapter 47

_**Chapter 47**_

For the next two days Sissy has her family working feverishly to put away the goods that Scott brought home from the road trip. Scott spends a lot of time with Barry and Tom making plans for being gone for another week. He says that if they will continue watching things he will bring back what he can for their families from the north Florida run. Barry looks at Scott and asks, "You aren't really expecting me to turn down that offer are you?" With a handshake Scott promises the men to do the best he can.

On the third day, Sissy's father and brother arrive. This is a few days ahead of schedule so Scott has to scramble to get going. Again Sissy watches Scott take off in a truck to be gone for a week and she finds that it is no easier the second time around than it was the first. There is also the knowledge that they are still trying to outrun another wave of pandemic infections.

This third wave, due to a slow down in human traffic and the institution of nationwide mitigation procedures, is moving considerably slower than the first two waves did. Even so, there has already been cases that suggest the wave has reached the El Paso area of Texas.

As before, Sissy uses manual labor to keep herself from worrying to the point of getting nothing constructive accomplished. First she decides to cheer up the kids with a special treat. She makes some fresh apple sauce from a couple of the apples that Scott brought home. Then she makes Applesauce Cookies.

It is a great treat and goes well with the powdered milk drink that Sissy makes. Everyone eventually got used to drinking powdered milk in the absence of anything fresh and Sissy doubts the kids even remember the difference anymore.

It has been a bit since she has made cookies. Sissy realizes she needs to make more time to do things like this. It is easy and really doesn't use too much of her stockpile of supplies. And the kids really get a kick out of it. She wishes she had thought to make something like this for Scott to take. Why does hindsight always have to be so much clearer than foresight?

Now that it is November, Sissy's list of chores changes. They do plant a few things, mostly just to replace what they have used fresh. Most of her time is now spent preserving what is coming out of the garden. Not that she is complaining, having a full pantry and a full garden is certainly more comforting than a full pantry and no new items coming in.

She is tickled by the success of their potatoes. She hadn't been too sure that the plants would produce, but they have and quite prolifically too. They have the traditional varieties like Red Pontiac and Yukon Gold, but they also have heirloom fingerlings. The funniest of all is the All-Blue potato. The potato really is a bluish-purple color and makes up into a pale violet colored mashed potato. The kids think it is neat. Scott was a little iffy the first time she plated him up a batch, but he got over his doubts really quickly.

And the tomatoes! Sissy hesitates to say she has over-planted but she has lost count of the number of fruits she has picked. The varieties that are coming in are Lightning, Tomande, Druzba, Big Rainbow, and Brandywine. There are others as well. There are the purplish tomatoes called Cherokee and Black Krim, and they are so strange looking that it took some convincing to get Scott and James to try them. Johnnie won't touch them at all because he has it in his head they are "rotten." There are also all sorts of cherry tomatoes still coming in plus one called Brown that is nearly chocolate colored. That is one that Bekah steers clear of. Sissy's favorite of the unusual varieties is the tomato that looks like a yellow bell pepper; you stuff like one too. It is great filled with a tuna salad mix or a TVP and rice mix that is kin to what you would stuff bell peppers with.

The other things that the are being harvested are pumpkins, acorn squash, hubbard squash, Yardlong snap beans and Kentucky wonder pole beans, and lemon ball cucumbers that looked like yellow eggs. They had to drape the fence with some old screening to keep the varmints from taking all the beans. It seems the more raccoons Sissy turns over to Mr. Jones and Mrs. Cleary the more that try and get into her garden. She long ago stopped feeling bad about "racoonicide." The garden is just too important, and a lot of people have begun to count on 'coon stew for a solid meal.

One of Rose's favorites from the garden is the Chiogga beet whose leaves are a good substitute for spinach. Other greens that are coming in include broccoli, Chinese cabbage, and Bibb lettuce. There are peas and Armenian cucumbers that are so odd looking that you could almost mistake them for gords, and husk tomatoes (aka ground cherries). The harvest also includes several varieties of carrots like Thumbelina, Danvers, Little Finger, and a purple colored heirloom carrot called Purple Dragon. After those started coming in, Scott wanted to know if Sissy had been trading with some immigrants from Mars behind his back. "Blue potatoes and purple tomatoes, now purple carrots. Too weird!" Scott said with a comical expression on his face. Sissy just laughed and told him to get over it. "If I can learn to eat raccoon, you can learn to eat funny colored vegetables."

They cut sunflower heads and hang them to dry where the squirrels can't get to them. And there is an odd fruit called a Canistel that is also known as Egg Fruit which isn't half bad once you get passed the funny texture.

Looking at the family's food storage areas, Sissy realizes something. Where as before the shelves held mostly store-bought items, they now hold mostly home-preserved items. That is one of the truest indicators of how their life has changed. Would it ever go back to the way it was before the pandemic? "Some things maybe'" Sissy thinks. "We will probably be as affected as people were that survived the Great Depression. We'll never be totally dependent on the just-in-time economy again." At least she hopes not.

With all the preserving Sissy has used a chunk of the extra rings and seals that she bought prepandemic. She picked up about 1000 lids for about fifty dollars on Ebay and thought that would last her years and years. She now realizes that canning everything that a family of seven needs means that 1000 lids may only last until the end of next year. She is trying to piece some things out by drying them – like turning green beans into leather britches, drying carrots and peas, etc. – but after next year they are going to have to get even more creative if things don't start looking up.

On a positive note, Sissy did make contact with a local county official who put her in contact with the email of a volunteer group operating the former LDS cannery in Plant City. Sissy and one of the volunteers conversed via ICQ about the possibility of making a cannery available that is closer to the northern part of the county.

"Mrs. Chapman, I wish we could say that I had better news for you, but it looks like it will be at least another month before we can public access to any of the other cannery sites. Right now the State is using them as a means to distribute supplies to local food banks and the mobile ration stores."

"Mr. Henderson, just hearing that it is a possibility is good news to me. The fact that you are talking at most a couple of months is even better. I can certainly hold out for a few more months with what I have now."

"I do have a thought, if you are interested."

"If it involves leaving my home Mr. Henderson, I'm sorry but I won't be able to. My husband and I have very strict rules to prevent exposing our kids to the flu. I'd love to do on-site volunteer work, but we still have young children at home."

"Actually it doesn't require you to leave your house at all. We are starting a website that has a discussion board attached to it. We need local people to work the forum and to submit information for the web pages."

"That I can do. What exactly are you looking for?"

"Well besides food preservation recipes we need suggestions on how to grow things in our local micro environments, how to save seeds, commentaries on what varieties have grown best for you, ways to grow native species for food and home preservation of native food varieties. If you think you would be interested anything you could submit would be work that we wouldn't have to do. That would leave us more work hours to complete the renovations and repairs so that we can get more canneries up and running sooner."

"Now that is a task I am up for. How do I submit the information for publication?"

"If you could put it into a text document and attach it to an email to the Cannery Volunteer Board, the CVB will format it for the website."

For Sissy this will be a relatively painless activity as she has been keeping notes all along. She'll simply copy and paste her dry information and put it in a more entertaining format to make it more user-friendly for other people to read.

This isn't all altruism on Sissy's part either. She is hoping that if the canneries are first-come-first-serve that she will be on someone's list to contact. She figures that if she helps them then eventually the favor will be returned. A few more community contacts for things begin to improve will certainly be worth any time she puts in for the VCB.


	49. Chapter 48

_**Chapter 48**_

As always, Scott is as good as his word and he is home within a week. This time he brings home something that the family has been desperately missing; fresh, domesticated meat.

Scott, along with his father-in-law and brother-in-law, had a very successful trip. The men trucked a large load of sugar and some south Florida fruit and produce up to north Florida to a town called Live Oak. They followed the same route north, along I75 corridor up to Lake City, FL. In order to reach their destination. At Lake City, they left the Interstate and got onto US90 and went west until they reached the outskirts of Live Oak.. The town is the seat of Suwannee County and continues to serve as a hub of commerce for several local communities, much as it did prepandemic. It took them a whole day just to get a pass into the city. After finally receiving permission to proceed, they continued west through town until they reached the former GoldKist chicken processing plant.

The large processing plant that was once a primary employer in the area has been converted to a food distribution point after being sanitized on several occasions because of panflu infections. The plant no longer processes poultry, but deals with almost everything else. Security is very tight. While it is understood that truckers – due primarily to road piracy – carry lethal protection devices, while parked in the GoldKist compound all such devices have to be registered and turned into the GoldKist guards for the duration of their stay.

One of the main production efforts taking place at the plant is the processing of fresh and jerked meat products. Even better, they recently received a federal grant to re-engineer the plant to accommodate a small cannery. The state of Florida also helped with acquiring resources to complete the project.

The federal and state governments are finally regaining enough personnel and resources that they have been able to sponsor community-seeding programs. One of these programs helps to encourage and procure the equipment for localization of food production and preservation. This program has been quite successful in those locales that had existing resources to exploit. In areas with few natural resources, the government is taking a two-pronged approach. They are encouraging relocation as well as implementing re-education and revitalization programs.

The re-education/revitalization programs are similar to those that were once conducted in Africa and many third-world countries that taught new farming techniques. Other skills taught include special water catchment and conservation techniques. The relocation option is primarily being offered to those who do not or cannot participate in the re-education and revitalization programs.

The relocation option is not as simple a solution as it sounds. Unless you have family willing to sign an affidavit stating that they will be financially and legally responsible for you for one year, you are put on a waiting list until a slot comes open in a community accepting flugees. For the move, you are limited to two bags – weighing fifty pounds each – per person on what you can take with you. However, transportation and food are provided free of charge for the travelers to their disembarkation point. Transportation primarily consists of open-air rail service.

Upon arrival, flugees are subject to rigorous quarantine procedures, especially if they come from certain cities designated as Red Zones. Red Zone cities includes cities with a certain per capita of infectious diseases such as cholera, typhoid, etc. or from a particularly violent location such as Los Angeles or the D.C. area.

Many areas further restrict flugee emigration to age groups or family groups. Some say that they will only take adult males between the ages of 18 and 40. Some areas only want females aged 16 to 35. Some areas only take orphan or unattached children. Some areas prefer intact family groups. Adults with trade experience, or teens willing to sign an apprenticeship contract, are welcome almost anywhere. For a while there was a blackmarket indenture program operating along side the Federal relocation program. This was quickly brought to a hault when it was discovered people were signing away years of their lives in the form of unpaid service just to have someone in a relocation area agree to sponsor them.

The indenture black market caused another, and very restrictive, condition to be put in place. Every flugee has to have an official picture I.D. from prepandemic times, such as a driver's license or US passport. Children can use a picture student I.D. as long as their original birth certificate and social security card accompanies it.

The more restrictive condition with regard to identification is causing the relocation process to slow down. Babies born during the pandemic usually lack official documentation. Some communities will overlook this documentation deficiency on children under two years of age. Some will accept a notarized letter from a registered doctor, nurse, or midwife. Many communities, however, will not. This is not a harsh or arbitrary rule to hinder relocation, but is an attempt to make sure that children are not removed from their parental care except in the case of being orphaned or abandoned. Adults who find unsupervised children are required to turn them in to a law enforcement agency, show a picture ID, and sign an affidavit concerning exactly how, when, and where the child is found along with any other known information concerning the child. The system is imperfect, but it is an attempt to make sure that children aren't accidentally shipped away from a parent who is desperately searching for them.

Live Oak is not accepting flugees. In fact, the whole state of Florida is still debating the issue. The northern border of the state has been cordoned off and is marked by armed crossing points on all major roadways. Vigilante flotillas patrol the hundreds of miles of Florida coastline. Of course people still manage to cross into the state, but once here they find it hard going without sponsorship. Most small cities are insular and can spot an outsider almost immediately. Since a state residency I.D. is required to obtain ration cards, many flugees have to obtain goods on the black market which means they pay a great deal more than the federally capped prices.

An unauthorized refugee faces a tough road. If caught, they are put on a national database along with criminals and various other offenders. The first (or second depending on state law) time they are caught they are simply deported across the state line. The second/third offense puts them in a labor camp where they clear roads, tear down condemned buildings, work agricultural fields, etc. The third/fourth offense might find them on a prison barge bound for who-knows-where to do who-knows-what, including international relief work.

The hitch is that some states count any offense on the national database. Some states only count the offenses that take place within their own borders. Some states count only deportation offenses when it comes to assignment to prison barges. There are attempts to standardize the system but the compromise will take a while to finalize as states are using the issue of state's rights to bolster their positions, especially those that are hard-lining the flugee laws. The case for illegal foreign immigrants is even harder. A lot of the Border States simply turn a blind eye to vigilante activities. Those that do take a direct hand in the immigration issues are prone to simply shipping out any immigrant found unless he or she can prove that they have permission to be in this country from prepandemic times. Permissible exceptions include foreign tourists with a valid and stamped passport, student visas (out of date visas can reapply so long as they continue to either go to school or work in the health care field), work permits, and diplomatic corp members.

Scott knew all of this from listening to radio broadcasts. But in Live Oak the men see the reality. Individuals in institutional orange are seen loading and unloading trucks. They are also part of the ground-keeping crews. And yet another small contingent is sitting chained together in a higher security area where armed guards patrol.

When the brother-in-law asks what is up, it is explained that the group in the detention area is being shipped to Panama City where they will be placed on a prison barge. The guard also volunteers that several of the group are gang members who had been given a chance to migrate by Alabama authorities, but when they kept getting into territorial fights, they were shipped to Florida to try and work off their sentences. Unfortunately they continued their poor conduct here. If they get into more trouble on the way to the port, they will likely find themselves sent to a barrier island prison for special populations. Those prisons are very Spartan; they receive air-dropped rations of just enough food and water to subsist on each day and nothing else. There are no buildings, no walls, no guards … and no way off That penalty is reserved for only the most extremely incorrigible individuals. Even assignment to a prison barge is rare these days now that the threat is understood to be real and that there is no parole from such a location. Usually forced labor is enough to rehabilitate most offenders, or at least it is enough to encourage them to follow the laws of the land.

As harsh as the new – and hopefully temporary – prison system is, it is the only way that has been found to deal with the violence that continues to pop up, especially in large urbanized sectors of the country. For a while sending people to prison was an automatic death sentence, sending people to any kind of mass congregation facility was. Panflu infections could sweep facilities bare of living inmates in a matter of days. There is no perfect solution, but this is the one that requires the least amount of manpower, yet gives the greatest benefit to a society battling a pandemic.

After waiting a full day to get into the city to reach "GoldKist" as the locals call it, the men are forced to wait another day to take their turn at the barter table. Since the brother-in-law is an independent trucker he does most of his own contracting and negotiating. He is a dab hand at it too, surviving in an industry that struggles with many nearly insurmountable challenges.

In south Florida Sissy's brother negotiated with a sugar procesor to truck a certain poundage of sugar in exchange for a contract in north Florida for meats and canned goods. Since he has an existing bond and a good working relationship with this sugar processor, they were willing to let him have the load with nothing down. The profit is a percentage of the sugar. Once arriving at GoldKist he negotiates a good price for the sugar and gets additional profit in the form of meats and canned goods. He saves even more by negotiating out the price of loading and unloading as the men choose to do this themselves rather than have the prison crews do it. Scott and his father in law get a cut because they went in shares for fuel and help with the labor of loading and unloading. Since the truck is not refrigerated they have to negotiate for cold packing, but that is easy because sugar is such a valuable commodity that the food processing plant will be able to make a really large profit for themselves on the re-sale, even with existing price controls in place.

While waiting for the legalities to clear and the paperwork to be readied, the plant manager makes up nice and offers to take the three men hunting. He is very interested in future trading, especially if he can continue to get sugar and other south Florida products at a reasonable price.

It is hunting season in north Florida. Deer, wild turkey, quail, and squirrel are all "bag as many as you can." The men aren't really interested in anything but deer. Next day is a perfect hunting day and each man brings down three deer as well as two turkeys that check out infection-free. The game is processed at the plant free of charge. They also make a side deal with the plant manager to trade him a hundred pounds of sugar in exchange for some crab, shrimp, and snapper that the manager's cousin has just brought in.

The following morning the men leave to head back south. The truck is loaded down with iced meat products and they are praying that they won't be held up at any checkpoints. They need to get the meat down to south Florida as quickly as possible and then turn around and get their shares home before any spoilage takes place.

This is accomplished in good time and Sissy waves goodbye to her dad and brother as they pull off down the road about three hours before dusk. This will hopefully give them just enough time to get home without having to stop for the night. Curfews are not quite as tightly enforced as they have been and truckers are given some added time on either side of daylight to get to a bolt-hole before curfew sets in, but it is still going to be a push. Sissy and Scott give each other a proper greeting and then set to work figuring out what they are going to do with their share of the meat.

Luck is on their side and the power is on. They immediately put what they can in the refrigerator and freezer including venison and beef that is already been cut into roasts, tips, and steaks. There are several sides of beef ribs that Scott sets aside to give to Barry and Tom. Incredibly there is also pork that has been certified infection free. And then there is the seafood and a wrapped package that Scott stashes in the freezer before Sissy gets a good look at it.

"Are you positive that the pork is good?" Sissy asks suspiciously.

"Yeah. As a matter of fact, while we were there the plant was being inspected by the feds. They got high marks on everything except for having semolina plants growing in barrels at the office doors," Scott replies.

"Having what where?"

"You know, those semolina plants like you have at our front door."

Sissy looks confused and then suddenly laughs, "You mean centronella plants?"

"Yeah, whatever. Those stinky little bushes that keep the mosquitoes out. Anyway, if you see a piece of meat with this seal stamped on it, it's from certified clean meat. And from what I understand it is also darn hard to get this seal."

"I hope you are right, but I don't want anyone but me touching or cooking this stuff and we will process and can it completely separate from everything else," she decides.

First Sissy starts a large pot of water to boil for the crabs that has a ¼ cup of lemon juice per gallon of water. While she is doing this, she has the girls sterilizing jars and lids and setting up the three pressure canners she has. She raw packs stew meat by the quart and begins processing it. Then she starts grinding some of the meat into hamburger that she then browns and hot packs for processing. She cuts some of the steaks into cubes and makes Chili con Carne with some of the fresh tomatoes out of the garden. She also uses some of the ground meat to make Spaghetti Sauce. Sissy cans beef stew, beef and vegetable soup and several other recipes out of her Ball Blue Book. She treats the venison the same way.

Once the crabs are done she dumps them in cool water for ten minutes and then sets Scott and James to cleaning out the meat. After the guys are finished, Sissy rinses and packs the meat according to her canner's directions and processes the crab in pint jars for 70 minutes. The shrimp she boils in an acidic brine until done and then peels them. These she packs into pint jars and processes for 45 minutes according to her canning book. The fish is cut and placed in jars and processed at 100 minutes. Sissy is very careful handling the seafood. It is one of the more difficult types of food processing in her opinion.

While the seafood is processing, Sissy sanitizes her work area and then gets started on the pork. The loins she slices and cans by the quart. Some pork she grinds and makes into sausage. Some she leaves fresh to be used for breakfast and the rest she browns and processes in pint jars. Sissy looks over at her girls and says, "I am so proud of you three. You are really helping. I don't know if I could have done all of this by myself."

Rose, Sarah, and even little Bekah have been hard at work cutting some of the beef into long strips and marinating them. These strips are put into the dehydrator and are dried as jerky. She also has them make pork jerky and fish jerky so that Scott can have something that is more portable for his lunches when he is out working.

Sissy and the girls are on their feet for two days straight getting everything canned before the power goes out. Which it in fact does just as she is taking the last batch off the stovetop. But Scott suddenly goes, "Uh oh."

"Uh oh what? We did it. We got everything processed while the power was still on. Even the jerky is done," Sissy says irritably. "What could possibly be 'uh oh' about that?"

"Um. Well," Scott starts then he says, "Well, hell. I guess it was too much to ask for the power to stay on until Thanksgiving anyway." He goes into the freezer and pulls out the freezer paper covered bundle. Out comes a small turkey.

"A turkey?!," Sissy squeals. "This is for real right? This is one of those special seal of approval meats that are infection free? Right?!"

"Yeah and," but he gets no further because Sissy has swooped down on him and starts hugging and kissing him.

"Oh you lovely, lovely man. You and your surprises. Honestly! You double my gray hairs every year with your shenanigans. Go pull out the grill. I'll roast this sucker and we'll have our Thanksgiving celebration a few days early," she merrily directs her spouse.

"You aren't disappointed that the surprise didn't keep?"

"Are you kidding?! The First Thanksgiving may have been in 1621 with the Pilgrims in Plymouth but there have been thanksgiving celebrations for many different reasons before and since. During George Washington's time as president it took place in December. It wasn't until 1863 that the traditional US celebration was truly born as an annual event. And it wasn't until F.D.R. set the date in 1939 that it became celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. With history like that, I reckon we can celebrate Thanksgiving any day we want to. And having the garden doing so well and now this bounty of meat is as good a reason as any to have our own specific thanksgiving celebration and pardon me running off at the mouth," she laughs. "I'm just so excited!"

Sissy's excitement is contagious as she calls the children to show what their father has brought them. There are grim reminders of the pandemic year all around them. There are still people getting sick and there are still people going hungry. Even in their own neighborhood people are struggling to keep body and soul together. But there are things to be thankful for as well.

They are still all together and all healthy. They've been able to keep food on the table and even share some with less fortunate neighbors. They have survived hurricane season. The business, while not the same as it was prepandemic, is doing OK. They have made some good friends and allies. While the world is full of troubled people, they have also found it to be full of people who are helpful and kind. There are all the personal stories of success by each family member and then there is their success as family as a whole. The blessings are numerous, all they have to be willing to do is recognize them.


	50. Chapter 49

_**Chapter 49**_

After the family celebrates Thanksgiving in their own personal way, things begin to settle back into a routine Scott, Sissy, and their family. The only bump in the road is a mild spike in influenza infections that marks the third "wave" Tampa experiences. The number of people that are being released from professional medical care offsets this however, and the hospitals are able to cope.

Fewer people are ill in the traditional sense, but there is a great number that are still in recovery. The debilitating after effects of the pandemic flu will remain with many of those who fell ill for the remainder of their lives; physically as well as mentally.

Now that December is here the citrus crop is again coming in. The harvest is lighter than normal due to the wind damage from Hurricane Josephine. The Chapman's learned from last year's partial theft of fruit and harvest as it becomes ripe and leave nothing on the tree that they aren't willing for people to "glean." This means that there are grapefruits and oranges in abundance for awhile that Sissy spends time canning for later use.

A local food distributor approached Mr. D and he is paid quite well for his whole crop. Harvesters come in and every tree except the two next to his house he kept for personal use are cleaned out in 24 hours. There goes James' "job" of grove tending. James is disappointed, but is mature enough to recognize it is a good thing for Mr. D and possibly even a sign that things are trying to get back to some kind of prepandemic normalcy.

Other areas of life are also slowly changing back to the ways things used to be. One of the first things, and the kids notice it first because so many are online for school reasons, is that the Internet bandwidth restrictions are eased. There are more graphics and even the online news agencies use streaming video again. Speed of transmissions has also risen significantly. In addition, there are fewer blackouts restricting Internet use.

Many people in the neighborhood find that their work hours are increasing as higher productivity is demanded by the healing economy. One of the more significant features of this is that grocery stores have more goods on their shelves, a few clothing outlets are re-opening, and even small eating establishments are appearing. This puts people back to work. Curfews are easing, at least for adults. Those under 18 still have to be off the street before dark sets in and must carry official identification at all times.

There are some restrictions on growth. Fuel is still being rationed and available only at a premium price. But for those that can afford to buy it, it is now there more often than not.

Even with increased availability of many goods and services, people are still very cautious. Consumer confidence is stable, but the index shows no sign of rising. No one just tills his or her garden under. No one suddenly replaces his or her worn wardrobe with all new clothing or buys their children upscale sports shoes. No one is going out and buying the latest make and model of automobile.

Plenty of people continue to economize. For example, this month Scott and Sissy are harvesting a nice selection from their garden that they will use to barter for items rather than using up their cash savings. There are grapefruits, oranges, and tangerines; even a few limes and lemons. Their garden also produces garbanzo beans, lima beans, and black beans that will be hung in their shells to dry for later use. Winter squash is coming in with pumpkins, Lakota squash, and Buttercup squash. There are still the last few tomatoes to get off the vines before the first frost kills them to go with the winter greens that are coming in like cabbage, celeriac, collard greens, and iceberg lettuce. Even the garden huckleberries are producing.

People are still going to the thrift bazaars looking for clothes to fit their growing children rather than waiting for the Mall to re-open. Most people don't even flinch at the idea of thrift shopping anymore, regardless of their prepandemic lifestyle. They are just glad that they still have their child to shop for. Too many families have lost a child to the pandemic for anyone to take this for granted. Too many parents have lost all of their children. Too many children have lost their parents.

As for automobiles, the new has long ago worn off of every vehicle that is seen on the street. Sure, some people mothballed their cars and trucks in hopes of better times, but it will be a long, long time before America is again able to satisfy their love affair with the road as they did in the later half of the 20th century. The city of Tampa has started to address the need for transportation by re-opening and expanding its antique street car line. People still wear masks while using mass transportation, but at least people now have another way to get to their jobs.

The "quick economic recovery" from a pandemic once envisioned by financial planners, economists, and politicians has proven to be a pipe dream. It will be years before countries again reach their prepandemic production levels. It will take years just to reach prepandemic population numbers and more than a decade for the "replacements" to be old enough to enter the workforce.

Some of the major corporations did have business continuity plans, but given the extreme economic slump, even the most flexible plan requires more stringent cuts than was initially anticipated. Many businesses, especially in the entertainment, tourism, and services industries have failed. All those people that depended on those industries, from executive to janitor, have experienced significant financial depravations. Other industries have taken near deathblows as well. The insurance and health care sectors are in shambles. Many insurance companies have already tried to file bankruptcy papers, but the federal government is moving in to force them to pay at least a percentage of all the claims. There are major re-writes on the horizon for insurance requirements for existing mortgages and for automobiles. Health insurance, even a nationalized form of it, is likely years away. People are encouraged to take their health and health care seriously, as they will now be responsible for it without the benefit of subsidies.

HCWs were hit worse than any profession with fatalities. Nearly an entire generation of doctors, nurses, and other trained support staff are gone. It will be at least four years before the first nursing graduates enter the workforce and enrollment will be down compared to previous trends. It will take long than that before the doctor shortage begins to fade. Specialists will be in short supply even longer.

The social security and disability programs offered by the federal government are bankrupt. A measure in Congress would move retirement age to 80 years of age and is certain to pass.

Another measure in Congress that has strong bi-partisan support is the establishment of work programs similar to those of the New Deal, Franklin D. Roosevelt's attempts to mitigate the Great Depression of the 1930's. People who want governmental assistance will have to participate in public work programs to receive it. Even people with physical and mental challenges can find a place in the suggested system that also include mandatory job training/re-training classes, parenting classes, and daily living skills training. Only children under sixteen and those on one hundred percent physical or mental disability are exempt, but even those two groups have exceptions. Children under sixteen will only receive assistance if they are in school full time or in some other type of full-time apprenticeship program and maintain a certain grade point average. The disability laws are being re-written so that even a paraplegic can obtain training on assistance equipment so that they can take a more active role in their own care and in the workforce. One hundred percent disability is now strictly enforced as the inability to participate in society in any meaningful way such as those in a vegetative state or those with severe mental or physical deficiencies preventing them from acquiring and maintaining any kind of job skills. This sector of the population will be quite small as many such individuals died due to the loss of their caregivers during the pandemic.

Time limits on benefits are being strictly enforced. Any person aged 18 and over may receive assistance for a maximum of five years so long as they fully participate in the work programs and abide by all of the restrictions and responsibilities in their contract. Once off the assistance rolls, it will be at least another five years before they may reapply for assistance. At each succeeding five-year cycle, the application process will become more difficult. If someone loses their benefits for some reason and fails in the appeals process, it will be a minimum of 10 years before they can reapply and in some circumstances, permanent removal from the roles will be the consequence.

Retirement accounts were gutted due to their dependence on the investment markets. People who did not safeguard their savings and investment dollars at the beginning of the pandemic have little to nothing left to show for it. Even those that did plan for economic interruptions in their investments realize it will be years before their investments are worth what they were before. Access to retirement accounts such as 401Ks has been frozen for one year to give the financial industry time to sort everything out.

The Internal Revenue Service is being restructured as well. Most analysts foresee the real possibility that the ten percent straight tax will be implemented. There will also be far fewer exemptions. A citizen will receive their W-2 from their employer. The W-2 will be turned in with a one page form showing what the citizen had already paid in taxes and whether they owe more or are due to receive a refund. All businesses will pay taxes, compliance with immigration laws will mean their taxes are lower. Immigrants will be taxes at a 12 percent rate. Lower taxation will be the reward for obtaining citizenship.

Now that the beginnings of economic recovery seems imminent, the federal agencies that dealt with finances are coming together and planning solutions to avoid recession, depression, or continued inflation/deflation/stagflation. What they are looking for is slow, steady gains rather than a return to large profit margins that were invariably offset by huge risks and loss.

The recovery is appearing in Scott's property management in that more cash is coming in. He figures that it will take at least a year to totally transition back to cash from bartering for rent, but at least now enough cash is coming in to pay for the utilities and mortgages without resorting to using all their savings. Their savings took a huge hit during the pandemic and the only action that saved it was being able to re-work their mortgage payment from the Mortgage Moratorium Act, due to expire in 60 days.

Most non-barter businesses are still cash-only. Those people who no longer have a bank account must stand in line at the post office to exchange their cash for a federally backed money order in order to pay bills by mail. Scott and Sissy have had to provide documentation for a few payments they made online, but they always printed out the proof of payment pages. Scott's extremely detailed bookkeeping system has proven, once again, to be a smart move. Now if they can continue to make smart moves, they might just make it to the other side of the pandemic relatively intact if not unscathed.


	51. Chapter 50

_**Chapter 50**_

Many population sectors have been decimated by the pandemic.

Overall, people under the age of 40 suffered in a much greater proportion than their 40 and older counterparts. In any given area you can see an average of a 3% to 40% infection rate. This rate was largely dependent on the early and consistent application of mitigation procedures. The most significant spikes in infection were seen in the school age children when schools and public gatherings involving children were not closed or halted quickly enough. This was in direct contrast to the reports proceeding the pandemic that closing schools would not bring any significant benefit as a mitigation practice.

Forced containment and congregate living facilities suffered up to 100% infection rates and up to 90% death rates. Prisons suffered the greatest losses followed closely by mental health facilities. However some juvenile detention facilities escaped mass fatalities by instituting immediate lock downs - putting many inmates in solitary confinement - an option not open to few adult prison facilities.

State run and private mental health facilities that had residential wards released as many of their residents as they could once the pandemic was confirmed. The remaining resident populations were quarantined. Further, some of these hospitals were forced to close their doors when staff numbers dropped below the institution's ability to care for their residents releasing even more mentally at-risk people into the general public. A small number of the worst mental health patients, such as those incarcerated because they were mentally incompetent to be tried for criminal offenses, were transferred to local prison facilities where they were housed separately from the general population.

This mass release by the prison and mental health facilities caused a marked problem for the communities that they were being released into. Research is ongoing but it is believed at present that communities experienced additional civil unrest as well as the unnecessary compromising of mitigation procedures as a direct result.

There are marked demographic changes through out the entire country. Not only in age, but in social make up. In some areas religion and religious institutions have become a driving force. This is usually found in communities where local government failed thereby forcing faith-related charities and groups in the area to step in to keep their towns going. Some towns are willing to release the reins back to local governments now that the pandemic appears to be waning; some are not. This is causing its own set of problems, especially if the community also wants to keep the faith-based groups in control because they've lost confidence in the previous bureaucracy.

Racial supremacy groups are firmly entrenched in some areas with the full support of local residents. This crosses the whole racial spectrum with some areas being controlled by whites, some by Hispanics, some by Asians, some by blacks, some by various Persian and Middle Eastern ethnicities, etc. And each group is running their area based on their cultural beliefs and practices. These practices do not always follow US Constitutional law, thus creating significant additional tensions within US borders.

Some cities still suffer an extremely high crime rate. Such cities also suffer from a high rate of mental illnesses. Reported homicide rates and suicide rates are at historical highs across the nation.

Months still remain before the removal of federal troops from deployment on American soil can be accomplished. The National Guard will be on permanent deployment for the foreseeable future, but each division will be assigned within their home state unless a waiver is signed. To address overwork and shortages of trained soldiers, instead of a Draft, there may be a call for mandatory service by all citizens similar to what occurs in other countries with each citizen over the age of 18 owing their country so many months or years of active military service. The emergency bill currently under consideration makes no distinction between male or female, but would give the option to serve either in the military or the national guard. No one is sure whether this bill will pass. Incentives are being considered to make enlistment more appealing to the public.

Contrary to the 1918 Spanish Influenza Pandemic, the wave pattern for infections were not dramatic spikes so much as they built to plateaus which only gradually declined before rising to the next plateau. The waves lasted longer thus appearing flatter on a graph. Of the three major waves of this pandemic, the first was the most infectious but was not the most lethal because some prophylactic medications and care were still available. The second wave was only slightly less infectious, but the death rate was considerably higher for this wave because of the lack of trained health care as well as the debilitation of the population caused by infrastructure collapse including the lack of food distribution.

The third and final distinct wave was much less infectious and much less lethal than the earlier waves. While the research is still out, there are some hypotheses to explain this. The first is the "herd immunity" theory that says that enough people had been infected that the virus no longer had a viable population to survive and transmit in. The second is that the virus itself had mutated to a less lethal and less infectious form. The third is that the application of mitigation procedures and newly developed vaccines to special populations had prevented the virus from finding hosts that it could efficiently replicate in. Yet another hypothesis stated that it was not one of these, but a combination of all of them and possibly more. Only time and research will determine the true cause for the decrease in lethality.

The world population was estimated to be 6,602, 674, 916 just prior to the pandemic starting. A compiling of the last number of worldwide infections revealed a ballpark estimate of 2,641,069,966 pandemic infections. Additional compiling has revealed that there have been 264,106,996 reported deaths from pandemic infections in all reporting countries. These numbers are still subject to change and it is unclear in some countries whether these totals include collateral deaths or not. Communications and information from some areas is still very sketchy. It will be months, if not years, before anything approaching a certified count is offered to the general public.

As a result of pandemic destabilization, different areas of the world are seeing a resurgence in political upheavals. Religious and ethnic clashes are escalating. Many governments lost their heads of state or have large gaps in their ruling parties. While these entities may have been imperfect, they did offer some structure and stability. With it gone, it will take a while for a strong enough and charismatic enough leader to emerge to re-meld what was broken.

A modicum of international trade has re-started, but only between countries that proved themselves to be allies during the pandemic. The US, Canada, and the UK have already set up mutual aid programs. They are trading resources, personnel, and committing political support in the international landscape. Mexico may become part of this coalition in the coming months if their national government can wrest control back the drug cartels and gangs.

It hasn't just been depravations of health and finances affecting countries around the world. There are environmental depravations evident as well. The oil fields of the Middle East are on fire after they became the target of opposing military and guerilla factions. There is literally tons of medical waste that still needs to be dealt with. Burial details are still weeks and months behind in trying to dispose of human remains. The aftermath of hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, LA – when it took months to legally process all of the corpses found after the flooding receded – was barely a foretaste of what faces the forensic communities in the face of a pandemic. Water sources have been contaminated by waterborne disease. There are few central garbage collection companies still in operation. Toxic waste dump sites have begun to leak and infiltrate ground water when their disposal containers began to break down due to lack of care.

For now most people are still focused on individual survival rather than environmental repair. For some, survival is still so precarious that they are willing to compromise their ideals, beliefs, and preferences. If that means helping to support a government that will help you to survive better, then so be it.

The economic outlook for the USA: Because of existing - if temporarily off line - infrastructure and equipment, the US is finding post-pandemic rebuilding easier than many countries. Plants that closed when jobs were moved overseas are slowly being re-opened. The back-to-work support programs are spearheading the refurbishing of many of these manufacturing facilities. Most of the pieces of the economic puzzle already exist within our borders, manufacturing plants and the majority of the natural resources to operate them. The US has staff, It has the know-how and the flexibility to create work-arounds for changes necessitated by lack of resources. It has significant agricultural resources, which means that we don't have to import all of our food needs. Of course there will always be complainers. But things were so bad for so long, the first shining rays of tomorrow are, for now, enough for most people.

Speaking of import and export issues, when the US stopped exporting food so that the government could feed its own citizenry first many countries retaliated. Some manufacturing export countries threatened to stop trading with the US. Given no choice, the US said, "OK. And when we get back on our feet and replace the manufactured goods that you refused to sell us, we'll be sure and remember you then." And that is exactly what is happening. Those countries that continued to act as an allie to the US during the pandemic are at the top of their list for any mutual aid that the US can offer. Those that refused haven't even made the list yet; some that threatened to unleash nuclear and biological warfare never will. After the discovery of the large oil reserves in North and South Dakota, the US dependence on crude from places like Venezuela and the Middle East has dwindled. Population and service decreases, resulting in greatly decreased demand, have also broken those bonds.

Transportation systems within the country are still compromised. Some mass transit systems are trying to get back up and running, mainly through the efforts of the "work for food" programs sponsored by the Feds. Horse driven trolleys are being used along existing track systems in some areas. Old steam engines have been pulled off of the tourist routes to be used in the commercial industries but some are still being re-fitted for modern tracks and industry safety standards. A couple of savvy entrepreneurs in the Gulf of Mexico, who borrowed the idea from a similar venture in the Great Lakes, have created a commercial fleet from sailboats of various sizes. Small sailboats are used as water taxis. Larger boats are used in a fishing fleet. The largest sailboats are used for shipping and receiving items being traded from Mexico, around the entire Gulf coast, down to the Florida Keys, and are starting to venture into the Caribbean though piracy is still a huge problem.

Sissy's brother and three other truckers, plus a machine shop owner and his family, have teamed together to create a fleet of commercial trucks that will run on both regular diesel and bio-diesel. They've contracted with a work-for-food program operating in northern Florida to get all of their used cooking oil, which is considerable, as they feed large numbers of people everyday. The set-up is still primitive, but they've already had a representative from several nearby counties come by to see about replicating their system. Some communities have instituted mandatory recycling for cooking oil. In exchange, participants receive an allotment of the resulting biofuel.

Aquaculture in Florida has, so far, quadrupled from prepandemic production. This has been due in large part to partnerships between E.P.C.O.T. (formerly a well-known tourist attraction), the University of Florida's Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, and many family-owned hatcheries. The aquaculture supports a hydroponic gardening method that in turns helps feed the aquaculture tanks. The symbiotic relationship is easily established producing both local meat, fruit and vegetable supplies. The Federal government, after reviewing the methodology of the Florida companies, has begun educational training/re-training programs in several other states that offer aquaculture and hydroponics business opportunities.

While the US has done quite well in some areas, in other areas there are still steep challenges facing the residents. Florida in particular has been quite transparent in publicizing their efforts, both the successes and the failures. At the start of the pandemic the population of FL was estimated at 19,668,279 people. So far, a state government sponsored commission has confirmed nearly 8,000,000 reported pandemic flu infections statewide. Additionally they have confirmed 786,731 deaths due to pandemic influenza. The average number of fatalities recorded prepandemic was approximately 170,00 annually. The number of pandemic flu deaths is over four times greater. The fatality numbers will rise however once collateral deaths (deaths not caused by pandemic flu, but contributed to by it) and non-pandemic deaths (deaths that were not pandemic-related at all) are tallied and reported.

The Commission also reported on other areas of population change. Births alone will take many years to replace the lost population as normally births only increase Florida's population by one percent annually. Many people expect there to be some population increase due to emigration and flugee relocation. However, flugee relocation efforts are on-hold until more infrastructure and job opportunities can be re-built.

No one has been left unaffected. Even the roving reporter Devon McLoud eventually had to face the music. Luckily for him, it wasn't a funeral dirge.

* * *

 _First, I want to express my gratitude to all of you listeners who have been sending your prayers and well wishes for my survival and now recovery. I would also like to express my humblest gratitude to the people of Olustee, Florida who looked after me as if I were a member of their family rather than a stranger found collapsed on the side of the road._

 _I finally understand why so many people didn't prepare during the prepandemic years. It wasn't a failure by the government to inform because the information was out there. I understand why people thought they could avoid infection yet continue to live however they chose. The failure wasn't with the media because story after story proved such attempts to be failures. I understand why, even when people personally witnessed others doing things that got them infected, they themselves did those very same things and became ill during subsequent waves of infection._

 _These circumstances can 99.9 percent of the time be attributed to one single thought. "It cannot happen to me."_

 _I finally fell victim to this myself. Some where along the road my sincere desire to report on this incredible historic event turned to the arrogant belief that this was my calling. My arrogance led to feelings of invincibility. Invincibility led me to make risky decisions and just plain stupid mistakes._

 _I was in a hurry to get to my next segment location and felt too rushed to read notices that were posted along the road I was travelling. It was only after I had cussed myself breathless because I was having to climb over yet another fence that I stopped long enough to read one of the signs that had hung on posts for the last couple of miles. WARNING: BIOHAZARD ROUTE._

 _My initial panic quickly gave way before my need to believe everything would be OK. I hadn't seen or spoken with anyone along the way. There had been debris on the road, but I hadn't picked it up to examine it, had barely paid it any attention at all. This was primarily due to the fact that I had been breaking another rule by travelling at night, breaking curfew. Remember, I excused myself because The Great Reporter was in a hurry._

 _Within the week I was flat on my back on the floor of the Olustee Civic Center struggling not to breathe my last. The surprise wasn't in getting sick, the surprise was that it hadn't happened sooner. . Looking back I did everything but paint a bright red bullseye on my chest. It was inevitable that I caught panflu. My one relief is that I walked untravelled back roads and across empty fields; it is extremely unlikely I had the opportunity to infect anyone else._

 _My recovery is far from over. My full recovery may never occur. I'm exhibiting the symptoms of cardio pulmonary damage._

 _I am no longer on the road. I'm taping this segment for broadcast in the studio of WJCT 89.9 in Jacksonville, FL. Tomorrow I join a convoy heading to Washington, DC where I've been asked to become part of a team putting together a detailed history of the pandemic._

 _Though I would love to stay on the road and chronicle the Nation's recovery – and I firmly believe the people of the US will recover – my health precludes doing this task justice. Others will be better able to give the job the energy and time it deserves._

 _My final thought, on this my final installment, is that people need to believe in their own recovery. Believe in it and participate in it. Don't wait for the Calvary. It isn't coming. Don't wait for another to do something. It will never get done. Don't wait for someone else to be the leader._

 _ **You**_ _do something if it needs doing._ _ **You**_ _step up and be a leader. Have confidence. Have faith. Believe. Without this, without each person doing their level best, recovery is nothing but a failure waiting to happen. And if we want our children to have a future, failure is not an option._

 _This is Devon McLoud signing off._


	52. Chapter 51 - Then End

_**Chapter 51**_

"What did you think of McLoud's last segment?" Sissy asks Scott.

"It was a pretty good ending, kind of apropos. I'm glad he didn't die. I've had my fill of that sort of story for a while," Scott responds.

Sissy agrees wholeheartedly as she packs lunches for Scott and James to take to work.

Despite some issues, Scott has had surprisingly little trouble retaining tenants in the properties he manages. While he is slowly reverting to the practice of accepting cash-only for rent, he still has several individual arrangements where he takes trade or work for portions of the rent. Because of his willingness to be flexible, and his ability to keep the utilities on, the units are deemed desirable within the community and he has a waiting list. He has even been contacted by the county's housing assistance program. Scott isn't sure how long this will last. There is a lot of empty housing out there. Most of the empty properties are in really bad condition however and a lot of it is being condemned. Squatters are being removed from properties that they can't prove legal ownership to. But, eventually equilibrium will return to the housing market and it will be at that point that Scott and Sissy will know if they will be able to stay in business or if they will have to try and sell out. Some houses are already going on the auction block for unpaid taxes, both property and federal. Housing all over Florida is very mixed.

Rebuilding of infrastructure is primarily focused on the large, urban areas in hopes of stimulating economic growth. However, the state says that rural areas will be coming online in the next couple of months with coastal areas receiving assistance last, possibly some time next year at the earliest. This has some coastal property owners furious, but the State and Federal governments have basically triaged all coastal communities for the foreseeable future. The only exceptions to this are the large commercial ports, ports serving commercial fishing fleets and areas immediately adjacent to power and desalination plants. While the coastal areas were prime realty markets prepandemic, the government feels they are too vulnerable to storm damage and without insurance feel the risk of re-building is too great, especially with the glut of empty housing currently available. In other areas, towns built in known flood plains receive the same triage treatment. What this has done is move whole sectors of the population inland. Retirement condos on the beach are also emptying, if they had not done so already, for the same reasons.

As in other states, many Florida families are in some type of transition – financial or familial. Existing issues have been magnified, or minimized in some circumstances, by the pandemic. There is a lot of realignment of relationships. Economic pressures are forcing some extended families to move under one roof. The death of so many young members has led some families to splinter and disintegrate completely. Domestic violence incidences peaked during the pandemic but are now subsiding into prepandemic numbers. State-run mental health programs and mental-trauma units work round the clock addressing a wide range of issues. The problem is addressing these issues quickly and constructively so that people can still function and support themselves. The legal system, of course, is just as busy as it ever was and there is no shortage of in-mates to man the chain gains now seen on most interstate roadways and railways.

Disability and SSI are no longer the broad spectrum support programs they once were. Restructuring now requires that everyone work in some capacity to receive any kind of assistance, or even ration cards. People with physical and/or mental challenges must function enough to participate in the workforce in some way – thereby earning assistance on a sliding scale basis – or they must be solely supported by their family/social network. Those who cannot or will not participate in these wellness programs are taken into the custody and become wards of the state. They are then generally assigned to state hospitals where they receive court-ordered treatment. Most will eventually graduate out to assisted living facilities, group homes, return to their families, or will be placed in other supervised housing arrangements. While the surface the measures appear harsh, it is currently the only humane and fair way to deal with people that are unable or unwilling to help themselves thereby relieving the community of untenable burden of care issues. Legally these orders fall into the same category as laws dealing with individuals who are a danger to themselves or others.

Scott and Sissy have faced their own crisis and survived. It has been very difficult for Sissy to relax and allow the family to return to behaving the way they did prepandemic. This caused arguments with Scott as well as their children. Sissy just can't hear the "all clear" sound as clearly as everyone else seems to be hearing it. As secure as Scott and Sissy's marriage remained during the pandemic despite extraordinary stresses, the marriage came close to cracking apart when it came to dealing with the issue of Sissy's post traumatic stress. . She keeps waiting for the other shoe to drop, for the next wave to be announced, for the next incidence of civil unrest. Insomnia and stress caused her to become so emotionally fragile that she finally broke down and called one of the phone counselors down at the civic center. It helped. So did talking to some of the other women in her neighborhood who were feeling the same way.

"Sissy," Scott begins hesitantly.

"Scott, really, I'll be OK," Sissy tries to reassure him.

"Are you sure?"

"I haven't had a meltdown in a couple of weeks. I know you and James need to go to work. I know Rose needs to go to her class over at USF. Sarah and Bekah have a play-date and Johnnie is going to the neighborhood preschool for that party some of the parents put together. If there is a problem, the cell phones appear to be working today even if the landlines aren't. If I can handle you going out in the middle of the pandemic and taking trade trips with my brother, I can handle a few hours alone. I'll do some gardening or something."

"Hey, I didn't know you were going to be completely alone. Where are the girls going? Maybe I'll just …"

"Enough Scott. I know I fell apart. I know that I still have some bad moments. I know it's been very hard on you and I know you blame yourself for leaving me alone so much there towards the end. I feel bad enough about this happening. I feel like I did nearly everything right during the pandemic only to do practically everything wrong when it started to end. Just … just don't stop trusting me, OK? It was really bad for a little bit but I'm better now. I've got to prove that I'm better." Sissy pushes out in a very tense voice.

"I trust you …" Scott starts to say as he tries to gather Sissy in his arms.

"No you don't and I understand why. No, wait, let me finish. I need to say this once and for all," and she pushes Scott to step back and give her some space.

Sissy takes a deep breath and says, "I'm going to be OK. I don't know when I'm going to be totally better, but I know I'm well into the process. I don't know which has been worse, feeling what I was feeling or watching you and the kids try and deal with me as I became more irrational. I could see how I was acting, I just couldn't seem to stop doing it. I know you have tried to understand, but I don't know if you can, not really. You weren't the one that stayed healthy while the rest of you all could have died. You weren't the one running from bed to bed trying to take care of each of you and afraid what I would find the next time I made it back to that bedside, waiting for someone to breathe their last breath. Afraid to sleep or even go to the bathroom because while I was gone something could have happened, you all could have needed me and I wasn't there. And later, you weren't the one left behind as you escaped the house to do what needed to be done. That being said, I know it isn't your fault. It happened the way it happened for whatever reason it happened that way. I don't blame you. But you can't understand what it was like to feel so alone and scared spitless that I was going to stay alone. I know it happened months ago and I know I should have dealt with it better somehow and I know because I didn't deal with it better then I'm – we all are – paying the consequence now. But I am better. And I'll keep getting better. And … I need some space to do my getting better. I love you and appreciate that once you realized how badly I was struggling and that I wasn't doing it just to be a pessimist or get attention that you gave me the support that I needed. I truly appreciate that Scott … but I feel sometimes like no one expects me to keep getting better, that I've been given up on. Sometimes I feel like I'm being smothered or caged for my own good."

"That's not how we mean to make you feel."

"I know. I really do know that, but … Look, it's like I'm some mother hen. And, the fox has been at the hen house door for months. I've just barely scraped enough corn together to keep my chicks going. I watched my rooster take on the fox a couple of times and could do nothing to stop it. Then one day some other hen starts clucking that the fox has finally slunk away, is just gone for no apparent reason. Farmer didn't shoot it. I never saw its decaying corpse. Everyone else in the chicken coop seems to be celebrating and getting on with their lives and I keep expecting the fox to crawl out of its den and go 'Fooled you' right before it starts gobbling my family up."

"Baby, its over. Its time to go back to our regularly scheduled lives." Scott tries to gently reinforce.

"So everyone says. But Scott, its not ever going to be like it was before. Too many people have died. Too many things have changed. Too many things are in the process of changing or still need to change. I'm back to the point that I can cope with that huge idea but it's not easy. I wonder what the future is for our kids. What the future is for our business. Is what we are experiencing now the new normal or just a transition period? You know I'm a planner. I hate not having enough data to plan with. The idea of planning for the worst and hoping for the best just isn't cutting it with me anymore. You used to be the one that was always stressed out and on pins and needles and now you seem to be thriving and in your element. I just don't get it."

"I don't know how I'm doing it. Maybe I changed during the pandemic too," Scott says.

"Yeah, but why did you get to change for the better and I seem to have changed for the worse. And right when you and the kids need me to be strong," Sissy whispers heart brokenly.

"Honey, oh man," and this time Scott does manage to gather Sissy into his arms and keep her there. "We don't blame you for not getting sick. We don't blame you for whatever you are going through now. I guess we haven't dealt with things at this point as well as we were giving ourselves credit for doing. I know James is confused about the future and Rose can only seem to focus on things going back to the way they were. She refuses to talk about finding out which of her friends survived and who didn't. Sarah and Bekah and Johnnie are just so excited to go and play with new friends that they don't realize how lucky they've been. I don't think any of us have appreciated the position you were in. If you need space, we'll give you space, but don't hide your feelings from us just to spare us. That would be as bad as when you did nothing but act emotionally."

"Scott, I'm trying. I'm really trying. It's like all the fatigue I couldn't let myself feel has finally just broken through and I'm just so tired physically and mentally. The counselor down at the center had me get that physical and you heard what the doc said. Between losing all the weight, dealing with the sudden lifestyle changes, the emotional issues from when you and the kids were sick, my family's history of health problems and everything else, he said I was in better shape than I had any right to be. I had been wound so tight for so long I could have snapped rather than just become unraveled."

"That scared the hell out of me when he said that. That's when I really admitted the problems were legitimate and not just some figment of your imagination. I'm still trying to find a source for that blood pressure medication he wanted you to take."

"The behavioral therapy techniques have helped so it's not as bad as it was. So has changing my schedule and getting more sleep. But I didn't mean to bring all of that up again. I just need you to see that I'm getting better and that you don't have to have someone babysitting me 24/7. I don't want to be a burden."

"The last thing you are to me is a burden. I'm scared of losing you too you know. Of not being able to provide for you and the kids like I did before."

"Scott, we are so much better off than a lot of other people out there. You've worked so hard …"

" _We've_ worked so hard," Scott interrupts.

"Yeah. OK. _We've_ worked so hard to get where we are at. Is it possible to feel guilty about not feeling guilty about that? I just can't seem to feel bad because we've got so much when we could have so little. I'm thankful for everything we have. My problem seems to stem form the fact I'm afraid things won't stay this way."

"I worry about the same thing Sissy, but for me it's a motivator rather than a paralytic."

"I know. I appreciate that. I just … I just feel ashamed that … " Sissy tries to push out.

"No. You look at me right now lady. You have nothing, NOTHING, to be ashamed of. You have been there for us from before the beginning. By prepping in the first place. The gardening stuff. Making do when there wasn't much to do anything with. Continuing to school the kids and trying to keep some normalcy for us. Being there for me every time I was ready just to give up. Now it's your turn. I just wish that we – I – would have recognized that sooner."

"Oh Scott, I don't know where I'd be if I had lost you or one of the kids."

"So don't. Don't think about it. It didn't happen. You didn't lose us. And thank God we were able to get help before we lost you. We're all still together. Just keep that in mind when you start to panic or get depressed."

"I'm trying Scott. I really am. And I'm winning the battle. I'm just so tired of the war," sissy sighs as she gives Scott another hug before forcing herself to stand up straight and push him out the door to where James has been waiting patiently.

"Mom?" James asks uncertainly after seeing the look on their faces.

"No son. Go to work with dad. I'm fine. Daddy and I were just talking. Don't worry," Sissy tells James.

As James looks back and forth between his parents he asks, "Are you sure?"

"Sweetheart I'm fine. Really. Every day gets better. I need to prove to you guys, and myself, that I can do this. I had to learn how to let you guys go. You're going to have to learn to let me stand alone when I need to."

"OK," James replies uncertainly, but a thoughtful frown remains on his face and Sissy can see him start talking to Scott as the van pulls out of the drive way and heads down the block to pick up Barry and Tom.

Sissy hasn't exactly relaxed her vigilance, but she has leaned to relax her need to control her family's lives down to the last detail and "personal exposure." It will take much longer though for her to find the same sense of nonchalance that she had before the pandemic, if she ever does. Her involvement in her husband's businesses has helped as much as anything primarily because she has less time sit at home and brood. Her personal confidence level is rising exponentially now that she has more balance in her life and activities.

For his part, despite Sissy's best attempts to change him, Scott is as much of a workaholic as ever. Even more so now that his skills are in such high demand. Being able to stay in business during the pandemic has given him an economic edge over those just trying to restart their business or start a new one.

In addition to the property management and maintenance businesses that Scott runs, he has started three other ventures. The biggest is a "recycling" business where he and a crew go in and take out old fixtures, furniture, belongings, etc. from abandoned or foreclosed buildings. The maintenance arm of his businesses can then go in and replace and repair any damage, if contracted to do so, so that a new family or business can move in. To go along with this there is a medical disposal business which is sometimes called in to remove bedding, furniture, or other potentially contaminated items when corpses of humans or animals are found.

The last enterprise is primarily managed by Sissy. She is helping to identify potentially exploitable local food sources and then provide cooking instructions and recipes to maximize nutrition and quality. There is little cash income in this last business, but there is a wealth of community networking and a healthy plant exchange that occurs between co-op members. In fact, the group has grown so quickly that they will begin meeting in the parking lot every other Saturday, across from the post office. They've also gained several sponsors including the grocery store that is in the same strip center as the post office, several neighborhood watch groups, and a new thrift store that opened in the same strip center.

The thrift store just happens to be the storefront for Scott's recycling business. They are trying to keep their businesses from becoming too incestuous, but it isn't easy. They don't want to rebuild the faulty just-in-time supply and demand system of the past. But, there are still far too many people waiting for the "other person" to rebuild things to the way they were before. Not everyone has woken up to the need for more diversification of efforts yet. Not everyone realizes that things won't ever be quite the way they were before as too many lives were changed; too much infrastructure damaged and shown to be vulnerable. Too many of the mega mart type stores have closed. The era of the small business has at least partially returned. Not everyone, however, is ready for the work and changes that entails.

Scott and Sissy's children are slowly easing back into their public lives as well. Rose continues to go to college, though she is now adrift on what she wants to major in. Opportunities have narrowed in some fields and widened in others. James is very involved with Scott's businesses and contemplates not going to college at all, at least when he isn't within his father's hearing. Sarah, Bekah, and Johnnie are slowly getting involved in social outlets. Neighborhood parents have formed both a Girl Scout troop and a Cub Scout troop and the kids meet weekly to work on various projects and socialize. Another parent has taken it upon themselves to start a track and field club to slowly rebuild muscles and stamina that the kids lost by having to stay indoors or in their yards so much, and especially for those that were ill and those still recovering their health. Area churches are finally meeting in their sanctuaries again, assuming the building is still usable, and are offering youth programs of their own.

Out in the community long term care is a very hot topic. Some pandemic flu victims will likely suffer long term consequences from their illness including respiratory weakness and in a small percentage some mental challenges. Nursing home issues didn't just go away either. Florida's older adult population suffered a significant number of collateral fatalities but there are still a lot of people of all ages who need assisted living options. The key problem is that there is a smaller pool of working aged people available to hire from to staff such facilities. Healthcare workers suffered a very high fatality rate, so trained staff is at a premium. Thus far, the only available alternative is in-home care. Several work-for-food programs are creating on-the-job training experiences to address this desperate health care need.

Scott and Sissy are well aware of how fortunate they are that no one died in their immediate family, though they've had close calls. Sissy's eldest nephew was removed from his mother's custody after too many curfew infractions and was sent to a juvenile living facility where he caught the pandemic flu. He is recovering, but it is a slow and painful process and his personality has undergone a lot of changes. Whether those are emotional issues or side effects of the panflu is uncertain. The boy's mother and maternal grandparents are among the thousands of people that are missing and unaccounted for. Sissy's brother found both houses abandoned and gutted with no sign of what occurred. Their names do not show up on the fatality rosters, but may be any of the Unknown Doe's on the records. For now he has applied for permanent and sole custody despite the boy's continued resistance. Until a final determination is made, he'll remain a ward of the court and continue to remain locked in at the juvenile detention center where he is currently being cared for. "There's nothing else I can do. At least he is getting medical treatment," is all that Sissy's brother will say on the subject.

Many families did lose members. There are so many single parent families that an interesting dating phenomena has been created. Instead of two people going out on a traditional date to get to know one another, family groups come together for social interaction. The kids have as much input into a parent's choice of partners as the parent themselves do, some even going so far as to interview prospective mates for their parents. By and large though, people are still going through survivor's guilt and grief for their loved ones. But needs must be met at times and some adults move in together more for survival than sex, though birth rates do appear to be on the rise.

Sissy intends to keep up with her gardening though she gets more help from the younger kids these days since Rose and James are either working with their father or going to school. She tries to plant or harvest something every day if possible as a hedge against the hard economic times they still face. She is able to change some of the ways that she does things though. She doesn't have to bring as many plants in and out as they once did. Wider food availability has helped some with theft by marauders and so has putting people back to work in the work-for-food programs. Larger quantities of food are being grown and distributed and with fewer people on the street with nothing to do, there is less time and energy for illegal activities. Not all areas of the country are seeing this effect, but come Spring it is hoped that more of the civil unrest and lawlessness will calm.

Most food being grown will remain local for at least another year or two as markets are challenged to grow and redefine themselves. This is known as the "locavore" phenomena. Wheat-based products will be much more expensive in the south. In the north and Midwest, citrus and tropical fruits will be luxury items. Replacements for the nutrients in foods no longer common will need to be cultivated to fit local growing zones. Milk and milk products will need to return to more local production every where. Former city and county parks are being used as grazing areas by families trying to keep a cow or goat or two for this purpose, as most yards are too small and are given over to dooryard gardens. An interesting program being tried is that families can buy shares of a local herd's milk production, similar to a co-op. Scott and Sissy are participating in just such a program where a small herd of milk cows are being grazed on the green space at Nye Park, just down the street from their home. They've received milk, cream, and butter thus far and hope for cheese in the coming months.

There are still no eggs on the market and many places have renewed their restrictions against raising and/or housing domesticated avian species. But broadcast news has leaked reports of several disease-resistant chicken varieties being bred at Federal facilities for distribution later in the year.

"Hey Hon, we're home!" Scott calls out to Sissy as James and Rose follow him inside the house. Sarah, Bekah, and Johnnie come running and immediately start telling him what a fun day they had.

As Scott tries to listen to all three of them at once he is looking around for Sissy who still hasn't shown up. "Whoa guys, one at a time. I take it you had a good day."

"Yes sir! We …" all three kids answer together.

"OK kiddoes, you all save it for dinner and I can hear all about it then. Smells like Momma baked bread and something with lots of garlic in it, but where's Momma?" Scott asks beginning to get concerned.

"Momma said it was an Italian Vegetable Casserole and I helped make it," says Bekah.

"Well, I helped bake the bread, which was harder," retorts Sarah who is going through a competitive phase.

"OK, but where's Momma?" Scott asks once again, just beginning to lose his patience.

"Out thide gavering," lisps Johnnie, eager to show off his knowledge.

It takes Scott a second to translate Johnnie's words into "outside gathering" and just as he heads to the backyard to check on Sissy she walks inside with a basket on her arm.

"Hey, you're home early!" Sissy exclaims with happy relief.

"Yeah, we finished out the last of that strip center. We lost the painting contract though. The county is having another crew start on that tomorrow. They want to open it as a 'K through 8' school next week so they can drop a school bus route."

"I thought we had that contract locked down," Sissy states with surprise.

"Apparently no, but it's OK. They have two other strip centers they want me to start on as soon as possible and we got some pretty good stuff from this clean out," Scott replies without concern.

"Yeah, you said there was a plumber, an air conditioning business, and a auto parts dealer all under one roof."

Scott adds, "Plus a small import business, a deli, and a dentist's office. The mess wasn't too bad. I cherry picked through everything for the store and I've got quite a bit of stuff for us too. But even after Barry and Tom took what they needed or wanted there was still a ton of stuff leftover to deal with."

"They were saying on the Noon Show that the landfill is full. What are you going to do with it?"

"Well, that report isn't strictly true. The landfill is still accepting biohazard materials at the incinerator from licensed companies and I can usually slip some carpet and flooring in with those loads. And of course they are still taking all of the recyclables like metals, tires, and glass."

"But what about broken furniture that Tom can't fix and that sort of thing?" Sissy asks.

"Anything wooden gets broken down into lengths. Then we bundle it and stick it by the road and its usually gone before you know it. Scavengers are starting to circle our work sites like vultures any more. That's why I have to cordon everything off, use closed trailers for hauling, and set security details at all of the locations. The Scavs make a damn mess if they get in and start picking through everything."

"I would have though with those kinds of shops the whole building would have been gutted long ago."

"The place was pretty new and didn't have those big showroom windows except on each end for the deli and for the dentist's office. Store signs hadn't even gone up yet. They only had banners and those ripped off long ago. The management company, from what we were told, came in and installed hurricane panels and dropped the roll down security doors right away. The place was a pain the butt to break into. Worse, we didn't know what we would find once we got in. The county's records were pretty limited."

"Are you telling me the shops were in pristine condition?!" Sissy asks in disbelief.

"No. Someone was getting in there somehow, at least at some point. There wasn't anything except condiment packets and some seasonings in the deli, at least as far as food went. There weren't any drugs in the dental office either. The acetylene tanks were gone from the auto place but whoever it was missed the smaller torch tanks at the plumber's shop. Things were messy like someone had rifled through stuff, but it was probably just one or two people rather than a crowd 'cause things were still somewhat organized. Everything was still locked down from the outside when we got there. If I had to guess, it was either a realtor with access or someone with keys from the property management company."

Sissy ponders, "Maybe one of the shop owners?"

"Maybe. I don't know. Doesn't really matter now anyway. No one from any of the businesses or the property management company, or even the lender of record, has responded to the county's imminent domain inquiry in 60 days so they took it over for back taxes, etc. You know the drill."

"So you managed to still do better than break even on this job?" ask Sissy.

"Yeah, much better than break even. Even picked over it was a gold mine so long as we can find customers for the stuff at the thrift store. I also managed to score some brownie points on top of everything else."

Sissy's curiosity is piqued as she asks, "For what?"

"Tom and Barry had the good idea that instead of trying to salvage everything for the thrift store or Tom's used furniture and cabinetry shop, that we take unusual items and find a home for them free of charge."

"Well, that would certainly save the gas of having to haul something weird all the way out to the dump where they might not take it any way," Sissy concurs.

"Yeah it does. And Barry is finally going to start an appliance and electronics shop. His leg is just getting too bad to work out in the field anymore. We are gonna stock a store for him in exchange for him keeping our guns in good working condition and being our ammo contact," Scott says as he knocks his boots off outside the front door.

"I talked to his wife today and she told me. She is really relieved. She said it has gotten to where Barry is in almost constant pain from being on his feet so much."

Scott continues by revealing, "We took most of the dental equipment and the waiting room chairs to that new hospital annex over off of Fowler Avenue. We left most of the deli equipment in place so the school could start a cafeteria, which made the lady from the school board very happy. The condiments and seasonings we dropped at the local soup kitchen although I split most of the salt amongst the work crew as part of their bonus pay."

Sissy asks, "That where the brownie points came in at?"

"Yep. Hey, have you got time to come to the store and help do some sorting and stocking? Even with stuff going out as fast as it seems to do lately, the back room is overflowing with boxes and bags of items that need to be put out on the floor. James said he'll help, but I've got to get on top of the paperwork. I'm about to drown in all the un-logged work orders, invoices, receipts, and everything else."

"Tomorrow is good for me if it is for you. Rose is going to be home all day so I won't have to bring the girls and Johnnie into that chaos," Sissy answers.

"Sounds good Babe. How long 'til supper? I'm starved!"

"As soon as you and James finish cleaning up I'll have it on the table," assures Sissy.

After dinner where everyone shared what they had done that day and after end of the night clean up, Scott and Sissy see the rest of their family off to bed before heading that direction themselves.

As they lay in bed enjoying each other's company, Scott once again seeks confirmation that Sissy's day had gone as well as she seemed to say it had.

"I'll admit that there was a moment or two when I dropped the girls and Johnnie off that I felt kind of strange and at loose ends, but it passed quickly. No panic attacks at all."

"Did you come home and do some gardening like you said?" Scott continues.

"I didn't have time. I started off in that direction then kept getting distracted by people wanting a word or two. I wound up having to hustle to get back to pick the girls up on time and then all three of us had to really hoof it to pick up Johnnie," Sissy says with a laugh. "That's why the girls had to get dinner mostly on their own and I was just coming inside when you got home. I was playing catch up."

"Sounds like it used to be; the kids going in five different directions while you played chauffeur trying to keep up with everyone's schedule."

"Yeah, in a way I guess now that you put it that way. Except then I was carpooling in an air conditioned van and traveling at least 20 to 30 miles every day and now we're all on foot and rarely go more than a mile or two from home in any direction. I've forgotten what the rest of town looks like."

"Trust me, you aren't missing anything. Everything is still pretty messy despite work crews on some project or other every couple of blocks or so. You wouldn't recognize a lot of areas any more. To be honest, I'm getting tired of working six days a week away from home even though I know I need to make hay while the sun shines. At least fuel is getting less expensive. I doubt it'll ever be as cheap as it was prepandemic – and I never thought I'd hear myself call $4/gallon gas cheap – but at least now if you can afford it, its available," Scott quickly replies.

"I'll ride one of the bikes up to the shop tomorrow and get started. Last time I rode with you …" Sissy begins.

"I still can't believe you got car sick between here and the store," Scott snickers. "My driving isn't that bad you know."

Sissy sputters out, "Don't laugh, you goof!" as she tries to elbow him in the dark. "It had been over a year since I'd driven any where and for some reason the feeling caught me off guard."

"Look, give it another couple of weeks and maybe I'll get your van up and running. If I can, then I'll take you guys on a sightseeing tour of the city if you really want to see what is going on out there. Maybe we'll make a picnic of it or something," ponders Scott consideringly.

"That sounds like it could be fun."

"Maybe, maybe not. But at least you'll get a chance to compare now with then and you'll get further away from home besides a few blocks."

As they continued talking and then began to fall asleep, one of Sissy's last thoughts were how things really were getting better if they could actually make plans for a couple of weeks into the future rather than just a day or two at a time.

Even better was the plans that Scott and her brother had hatched so that Sissy could see her mother. Her parents were coming for a visit the next time her brother had a shipment through Tampa. She wasn't sure how long they would get to stay but it would be at least a week, maybe two depending on the truck route they took. Sissy was so excited. She hadn't seen her mom in nearly two years. It would be quite a reunion.

The next morning Sissy actually woke with something besides worry and fear on her mind. The sun was shining, there was food for the table, and there were plans to look forward to with pleasure as well as the means to bring those plans to fruition. She bounded out of bed to begin waking the rest of the house to the new day.

The challenges hadn't disappeared and there was still more work than you could shake a stick at, but life was good and worthy of the effort it took to live it.

 **THE END  
**  
 **… OR A NEW BEGINNING**


End file.
